Remember when everyone rushed out to buy toilet paper in 2020 after social media and the press whipped up a wave of panic buying? We weren’t actually low on toilet paper until some people rushed to the stores to buy it all up. My family refused to participate in the mass buying, but we did need toilet paper so off I went to find some. The major box store was sold out, but I finally found a 12-roll pack at an independent grocery store. Three cheers to independent grocers in the United States! [As a funny side note, I kept trying to figure out why my car smelled like lavender on the way home, and then I took a closer look at the package. The little cardboard tubes were scented! It was a funny little bright spot during some tough times.]
The aptly named Toilet Paper Crisis of 2020 is one of the reasons I have come to encourage people to do their own research instead of just relying on social media and the press for information. Check out this actual study on panic buying and this article on supply weaknesses revealed by the pandemic.
Over the years, I have seen and heard many situations in which people quoted something to me only for it to be a half-truth or an outright mistake. Further, the mass media establishment loves to inform us of the newest medical study, but I’m always annoyed when they don’t provide details on the size and diversity of the sample of participants. Details do matter. Here is a good post on why sample sizes matter.
Several years ago, I remember a grandparent coming home from a senior citizen’s group with news about why you shouldn’t buy from a particular manufacturer. I won’t go into the details except to say that it was based on a conspiracy theory that I mentioned to a friend, and she sent me a link to an article explaining the source. Ever since then, I have researched anything that sounds questionable. I’ve never been much of a follower who didn’t have questions, and I don’t recommend just accepting ideas without checking for confirmation.
If you think about it long enough, you’ll probably be able to think of a whole list of situations in which you were misinformed. I would love to hear about an example in the comments. I want anyone to be able to find answers to their questions, and I want anyone to be able to research what someone else tells them as fact. Since it’s always important to do your own research, let’s equip ourselves with some skills to combat false, manipulated, and inaccurate information.
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And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (John 8:32, NKJV)
All Things Subject to Change 