It’s time for some hard choices, folks.

You know that the Russians have interfered with our 2016 elections.   And, by 2018, they were joined by the Chinese and the Iranians.  And, those folks have been manipulating Americans ever since.  By sending out information that is false- without most of us (actually, that would be most of you, to be totally honest) verifying that the BS we so thoughtlessly spread about is anything but valid.

How is this happening?

In a word- easily.

Because, in our desires to be “popular”, we crave followers on Facebook.  And, then don’t verify that these followers are real.  Or, our cravings to have thousands, hundreds of thousands, or millions of folks following us on Twitter, we reciprocate when we find a new follower.    Not to mention all those folks who want to connect with us on LinkedIn.

 

Even when we know nothing about them.

So, we end up promoting a slew of ‘catfishers’.

And, here’s what happens because of our laxity.

We post (what we consider to be) a most important message.  And, Russian, Chinese, Iranian, (American Nazi?), etc. folks then add something to that post that isn’t true and it gets spread to everyone that is following us.  Because our handle is part of their post.

And, then, these catfishers watch to see who repeats that post.  And, follow them, hoping to be added to their throngs of adorers.

And, so it grows.

Please- if you don’t know who folks are- cull them from your twitter follows.  Remove them from your Facebook friends.  Make sure you know these folks- or someone you know well vouches for them.

I, for one, don’t allow folks to become part of my circle on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn (my three social vices) unless I know them.  Or have read their words for a while and recognize they are real and diligent in what they post.

(Just so you know, many in my circle have vastly different political viewpoints- wrong that they may be!)

Because it’s not just me I’m protecting.

It’s you, too!