A Pinch Of Salt

There are lots of stories, questions, statements, tweets and jokes floating around Social Media, and sometimes when you’re endlessly scrolling, as we all are at the moment, it can be easy to get sucked in to an over-sensationalised story which can increase anxiety and stress and feed you ‘fake news’ (yes, we all read it in that voice).

But we must remember to take everything that we read with a pinch of salt. There are some questions you can ask yourself when you read a story which can help you take a step back and assess what is real and what is not.

Who is posting this?

First ask yourself: Who is posting this? Is it a friend just posting a status update or reposting from someone else? Or is it from a reputable source, like a news outlet or from the Government?

Is it a slow day for news?

Next: Is it a slow day for news? There are some days, where especially at the moment when there is nothing much to report. To keep people reading, sometimes news outlets can be a little sensationalist. If you read a headline that's too good to be true, it probably is.

Is this clickbait?

You know those articles, the ones whereas you click on it, you say to yourself ‘I don’t even care’ but you click on it anyway. Try not to let yourself click it on unless you think it is information you really need to know (and not about a Kardashian's new quarantine hair cut).

Do I need to research this more?

If something doesn’t sound right, research. Put those university skills to the test, and take some initiative. Do some active reading and take in the information you need to know and decide what should be fact-checked - especially before you share it with anyone else.

By following these simple steps, you can protect your mental health and be safe in the knowledge you’re sharing only facts, and keep it sweet.

Check out below some of the best places to source your information:

Simple Politics

Simple Politics is brilliant - its aims are to simplify the world of UK politics and help you stay on top of it. Current laws, debates and processes - they break them all down for you.

BBC News

BBC News aims to be unbiased in its news and representation. It's a great source for the most up to date and breaking news stories.

Gov.uk

Gov.uk is the official Government website for the UK. They have the most up to date and official, relevant information you might need. There is lots to explore and lots to learn by reading through the information they provide - especially about Covid-19. 

The Union

As a student, there is lots of information you might want to know. We update our website regularly with news and articles which aim to provide you with help and answers for the questions you might have. Can't find something? Email hello@upsu.net and we'll aim to help you as much as we can.

The University Website

The University website and the Myport Portal, as well as Moodle, has all sorts of information on there, not just about Coronavirus. The University works hard to collate the information they have and release it to you.