Critically examining information is essential to navigating misinformation. But there’s a skill that doesn’t get nearly enough attention, especially for content creators: knowing what to ignore. When you’re online as much as creators are, you’re not just consuming our noisy information environment: you’re also shaping it. Every troll DM, every dubious trending claim, every algorithmic rabbit hole is time and energy pulled away from actually creating. Worse, if you amplify something inaccurate, your credibility takes the hit. That’s a real responsibility, and the noise hits differently when you’re in that position.
Psychologists and education researchers call this critical ignoring: the skill of strategically filtering out low-quality or manipulative content so your limited attention goes where it actually matters. Like critically examining information, I write about these skills extensively in my book, “Misguided.” So, here’s what it looks like in practice for creators.
Redesign your digital environment before it redesigns you
Platforms aren’t neutral. They’re engineered to maximize your time spent on them, which can be terrible for your focus. The research here is pretty striking: one study found that deactivating Facebook for a month freed up about an hour a day, boosted wellbeing, and even reduced political polarization.
Some practical moves: set time limits on platforms you’re not actively posting to, mute or unfollow accounts that generate drama or outrage without substance, and deliberately separate your “research” mode from your “doomscroll” mode. Every like or share impacts your own feed, so be mindful of who you interact with and the time you spend interacting with others.
Use lateral reading before you share anything
Lateral reading is how professional fact-checkers actually work, and it’s something every creator should have in their toolkit. When you encounter a claim you want to share, don’t just evaluate it on its own terms within the article, but open new tabs and look it up elsewhere. Who’s making this claim? What do other credible sources say? Is this outlet known for accuracy or for chasing engagement?
It helps a lot to spend just 60 seconds checking content before you post. I wrote about various online tools that can help you verify claims here. Your audience is trusting you to do that minimum.
Stop feeding the trolls
The clap-back is tempting. But every response you give a troll, even a good one, is a reward. It boosts their visibility, signals to the algorithm that the post is engaging, and drains your energy in the process. Bad-faith actors thrive on your attention. Withholding it is genuinely the most effective move, especially if it is a small and/or anonymous account.
Block, mute, report, move on. Your comment section is not a debate stage, and you’re not going to change anyone’s mind there anyway.
The bigger picture
Traditional media literacy was built around a simple premise: good information is scarce, so pay close attention and think carefully. That still holds. But as a creator, you face the opposite challenge: an overwhelming amount of information to choose from (much of it low quality and boosted by algorithms) so you have to be selective about what you engage with and share.
Your attention is finite. Guarding it isn’t a luxury, it’s part of the job. Filter the noise first. Then create.