You don’t always have to have a hot take — or share it

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 11/01/2025 (269 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Recently, I was chatting online when someone in Norway asked if we had noticed how many people active on social media felt the need to have an opinion about everything — whether they’re experts on the topic or not.

Sometimes people feel they must hold forth, touting activism that aligns with their politics, but then something unforeseen occurs. Occasionally, these social media posts get wide distribution and go viral. For the poster, they’re forever linked to an opinion that may, or may not, still align with their professional or personal values. For popular influencers, thousands of followers see hot takes that might be completely bogus opinions instead. Even if the influencer does research before posting, I’d like to see the footnotes or primary sources for some of these claims. Also, was the post paid for by someone else? When an influencer drops a hot take, it’s possible it’s just paid advertising that they didn’t even write. Was it always this way, even before the internet existed?

Yes, but not with such wide reach. People sat around a fire or women worked in a kitchen or at a quilting bee. They spoke their minds, but their opinions did not leave the community with speed. Yes, newspapers and letters passed along the gossip. Telegrams and phones helped it along. Some reporters and editors might have been unethical and paid to publish certain takes, but even newspaper distribution was limited. Social media reach has much wider, faster distribution.

Small, regular community gatherings are less common today. Instead of a limited-distribution sharing of opinions, people do this online. Online, opinions from people who may know nothing about a topic, but felt the need to expound to gain attention, proliferate. What causes those posts to get traction? Those with racy news, memes, graphics, better written communication, more followers, all get farther with their posts. It isn’t because all the ideas have merit.

Critical thinking and education go a long way in enabling people to slow down, analyze information, and discard nonsensical claims that they encounter. For instance, bleach and ivermectin didn’t seem like safe medications to anyone who did even cursory research. Yet, during the pandemic, potentially harmful “cures” raced across the internet for those who felt desperate enough to suspend their disbelief.

When some get their information online only through social media, this suggestion to slow down and do research before reacting can be a tall order. I was faced with this experience more than once when I asked people I knew in real life why they posted certain viewpoints as fact. Some told me I was flat-out wrong about events abroad and to go “educate myself” on the issues. Taken aback, I followed up. I asked whether two relevant academic degrees, time spent living in the geographic region, basic knowledge of one language spoken there and rudimentary knowledge of a second was enough education to form an opinion? What else did this person advise?

When I asked earnest questions and called them on the flip response, the answer felt obvious. Their response was silence. I had been educated at universities. I likely knew more than my adversary’s social media take. More than once, the contact vanished when faced with questions.

Aside from university study, we can do more on our own. Reading widely, analyzing what you read and relying on real sources beyond Wikipedia can be a good start. Yes, these are big-time investments. It’s also possible to pause before hopping on an activist bandwagon. Sometimes we might not know all the information we need to form an educated opinion. That’s OK. Waiting a news cycle or two can be helpful. Also, consider if posting about the issue will affect one’s career or social prospects in the future. An ill-advised Facebook post can come back to haunt someone years later. Is it worth it?

The second approach might be a return to the in-person gatherings of the past. Everyone can have opinions in smaller spaces. Those speaking out with a small group of locals can have their say without the internet amplification. We learn a great deal through debate, if we feel safe to hold a spirited exchange with those we trust.

We still need community spaces. It’s a shame when one sees curling clubs, churches, legions and Odd Fellows halls up for sale. It might be worthwhile to leave home more often and get into a neighbourly conversation at the community centre, place of worship, school gym or bar. We’d benefit from opinion airing and learning, without the online risks. True, we risk real viruses in person, but our ideas wouldn’t go viral online without proper vetting first.

For those isolated due to health or geography, consider using the internet without being on blast. Make your social media accounts private or create a family and friends chat. Don’t allow your ideas to be broadcast worldwide. Give smaller spaces for feedback a chance.

We must use our brains and academic rigour to understand an increasingly complex scene of global conflicts and climate change. We also need to rely on people we trust to help put our ideas in context. We’re not experts on every topic. It’s OK to decide that you’re not ready to have an opinion on something until you know more about it.

Relying on those you trust, as well as taking time to do research, can help us over the long haul in an age of 24-7 news takes. Don’t rely on social media alone to “educate yourself.” In the long term, those influencer hot takes may cause deep regret down the line.

Joanne Seiff, a Winnipeg author, has been contributing opinions and analysis to the Winnipeg Free Press since 2009.