[ad_1]
Famous author Terry Pratchett once said, ‘Rumor is information spread so thinly that it can filter out anything,’ and we couldn’t agree more.
It can be said without any doubt that rumors have become one of the most common occurrences in our lives – thanks to the advent of social media! Although on rare occasions taking a rumor seriously may not be a harmful activity, students and candidates should strictly avoid paying attention to doubtful information, especially when they are preparing for an important examination.
Let’s think of a situation – you are spending hours preparing for your board exams. However, a few days before your exams are to begin, you find suspicious information related to your exams on social media. Two things can happen – you realize something is wrong and you let it go. But, if you believe the information, it is likely to have a disastrous effect on your exams.
Even the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has been repeatedly warning students to avoid becoming victims of rumors on social media. Recently, CBSE issued a notice to caution candidates of Class 10 and Class 12 board exams against rumors and fake information related to the exams. CBSE said that some mischievous elements had recently tried to spread rumors about paper leak on social media platforms like YouTube, Facebook, X and Telegram.
According to the board, the miscreants were trying to circulate fake links of sample papers with the claim that the questions would be from those sample papers. These elements intend to loot innocent students and parents as they demand money in return. CBSE said it is closely monitoring the situation with the help of law enforcement agencies to take strict action against persons involved in spreading fake news on social media platforms.
Not only this, the board had issued another notification in which it had identified 30 fake social media handles that were using the name and logo of CBSE.
Team Hindustan Times also spoke to some experts and students from the academic field to know what could be the possible consequences of rumors and how can one stay away from them.
Neelakshi Barua, principal of a government higher secondary school in Assam, feels that rumors and fake information can have a deep impact on a student’s academic performance. “I have seen many students getting attracted to some of the information they find on social media,” he said. In some cases, students start looking for the easy way out instead of putting in some creative hours in their preparation. They don’t realize that there is no shortcut to success.
Also read: IIM Indore student presented offer Salary package of Rs 1 crore from e-commerce company
Now here’s the good news – academics and even students who have experienced such instances say that staying away from rumors is not a difficult thing. Following are the five easiest ways to protect yourself from rumors:
1. The less use of social media, the better.
Let’s admit it – most of us do a quick check of our favorite social media platforms during breaks. While this may be counterintuitive, there are chances that you may see some pop-ups or notifications from random web pages that contain information directly or indirectly related to your examinations. Although it would be humane to click on such websites, it may not be the right thing to do. “Pop-ups with catchy titles have become so common these days that most individuals, including adults, can be tempted to click on them. Pop-ups are one of the easiest methods used by miscreants to spread misinformation,” says Debjeet Paul, a mathematics teacher from Guwahati.
“It is always best to avoid social media during exams. At least, you’re not distracted by unnecessary information,” DeBate said.
2. Only trust information from an official source
It should always be kept in mind that when it comes to important information related to any exam, only the official source should be trusted. For example, CBSE in its notification related to 30 fake sites has clearly instructed students to follow its official Twitter handle @cbseindia29 For verified and authentic information. In other words, the examination conducting body is the only authority who can inform or instruct the candidates about a particular examination.
3. Verify Reliability
Suppose you find exam-related information on a website that looks almost original, do not trust it immediately. The first step is to verify how authentic the information is. Manas Goswami, an engineering student from Odisha, said, “There have been instances in the past when I received random information about impending exams. On some occasions, I even believed some of them because they seemed so authentic. However, when I clarified with my teachers and peers I discovered that the information I had was false.
“I was lucky that I came to know about it before the exam. So it is extremely important to fact-check and verify any information before accepting it as true.”
Also read: CTET January 2024 result declared, steps to check score
4. Take appropriate action
Sometimes, taking strong action against a person or group spreading misinformation is always the best thing you can do. Standing up against what is wrong goes a long way in preventing negative consequences. Furthermore, it also helps others to be aware of the source they should not trust. One way to take action is to alert the examination board about those spreading fake information. In most of the cases, the Board takes such complaints seriously and takes necessary steps against those involved in unauthorized activities.
5. Alert others about false information
Another wise thing to do after fake information comes to light is to make others aware of it. Tell your peers, as well as teachers and parents, about any misinformation you see. The easiest way to do this is by posting social media posts. By doing this you will save many other people from getting trapped in rumours. “After what I experienced, I decided to help my colleagues not become victims of fake information. I usually alert others by putting up a status on WhatsApp and Instagram, which soon becomes a chain after my friends put up the same alert on their respective profiles,” said Manas.
[ad_2]
