The voices in your head! Our brain forms the voice behind the texts.

Imagine reading a message from a friend, and although the text is written in standard German, you hear the words in your head in the friend's typical dialect and voice. This phenomenon illustrates how our brains weave an additional emotional layer into digital communication, influencing our understanding and trust in the information shared. It's not about a specific app or platform, but about the fundamental behavior of the human mind in the digital age.

The influence of the inner voice on digital communication

Today, text messages and emails make up a majority of our communication. The inner voice we perceive when we read has a surprisingly powerful and often underestimated effect on our interpretation and understanding of news. This inner voice is a psychological phenomenon that adds an emotional dimension to texts and therefore influences our reaction to the information received.

When we read a message from someone we know well, we often hear their voice in our head. This effect gives the message a personal touch and gives the impression that the sender is speaking directly to us. This increases our trust in the message, not necessarily because of its content, but because we feel emotionally and personally connected to the sender. This connection is based on our relationship with the sender and the experiences we share with them. This dichotomy is interesting: we trust the message because we trust the sender, even if the content is incorrect or misleading.

The problem of misinformation in closed networks

In closed digital networks such as private messaging groups or social media with restricted public access, much of the exchange of information takes place in an environment characterized by familiarity and personal relationships. In such environments, misinformation and unverified news can quickly gain credibility. The reason for this is the absence of external verification mechanisms or contextualization by independent third parties. When someone we trust tells us information, we tend to accept it without critical scrutiny. The personal connection to the sender makes it difficult for us to establish the necessary critical distance that we would probably show towards anonymous or unknown sources. This phenomenon can cause false information to spread uncontrollably and allow misinformation to become entrenched and spread on these networks.

The importance of fostering a critical perspective

Given the challenges posed by misinformation and the spread of half-truths on digital communications networks, it is critical to foster a culture of critical review and questioning of information. It is not enough to simply assess the credibility of the content. It is also important to critically reflect on our own reaction to the presentation and context of the information. Education and awareness about media literacy play a central role in this process. They help us understand not only how misinformation can affect our society, but also how our own biases and the nature of our digital relationships shape our perceptions of truth and credibility.

By strengthening our ability to critically analyze and question information, we can better navigate a world increasingly dominated by digital communication. It requires a conscious effort to move beyond simply accepting information and instead cultivate a deeper, more critical engagement with what we read and share online. By learning to question both the content and the context in which information is presented, we can effectively combat the spread of misinformation and promote an informed, critical and ultimately more resilient society.

Questions and answers:

1. Why do we “hear” an inner voice when we read digital news?
   Our brains tend to add an emotional and auditory dimension to texts based on our relationship with the sender and our previous interactions, giving the texts a more personal touch.
2. How does the inner voice influence our trust in digital news?
   The inner voice can increase our trust in the content because it creates a personal connection with the sender and leads us to evaluate information based on that relationship.
3. What can we do to protect ourselves from misinformation?
   We should learn to critically question information, regardless of how familiar or convincing the source may seem. This includes fact-checking, seeking trustworthy sources, and being aware of our own biases.
4. Why is media literacy so important?
   Media literacy helps us assess the quality of information, view sources critically and deal more consciously with the flood of digital news, which is particularly important to prevent the spread of misinformation.

Digital communication has changed the way we exchange and process information. Reading news allows us to create a deeper emotional connection with our communication partners. However, it is important to critically examine the credibility of the information we receive and share. By improving our media literacy, we can build an informed and critical society that is more resilient to misinformation.

Also read:

When words like peace, freedom, democracy and dignity lose their meaning!

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Article image: Freepik