In a world where content travels faster than context, one of the most powerful tools we have is curiosity: who made this, and why?
Every meme, video, headline, or infographic has an author and a motive. It might be to inform, persuade, entertain, sell, or manipulate. Sometimes it’s all of the above.
Why It Matters
Ads disguised as content: A funny video may also be a subtle product pitch.
Partisan media: A headline can be true but framed to favor one political side.
State influence: Some international outlets exist to push a national agenda.
Clickbait farms: Some sites exist solely to drive traffic and ad revenue, not truth.
Canadian Context
Elections: Paid political ads often circulate online without clear labelling.
Indigenous issues: Narratives are sometimes framed by outsiders rather than communities themselves.
Local journalism crisis: As trusted outlets shrink, citizens increasingly rely on sources without clear accountability.
Disinformation campaigns: Foreign and domestic actors have targeted Canadian social media during public debates.
The Challenges
Invisible origins: Content often circulates stripped of its source.
Trust shortcuts: People trust content shared by friends without asking where it came from.
Sophisticated manipulation: AI-generated articles, videos, and even “news anchors” blur authorship further.
The Opportunities
Simple habits: Ask who wrote this, what’s their goal, and what’s missing?
Transparency standards: Push platforms to make funding, authorship, and origin more visible.
Education: Build “source tracing” into digital literacy training at all ages.
Citizen skepticism: Normalize polite curiosity instead of blind trust.
The Bigger Picture
Critical thinking doesn’t start with fact-checking databases or advanced tools — it starts with a single question of authorship and motive. Asking it consistently is one of the most effective shields against manipulation.
The Question
When you see something that grabs your attention online, do you instinctively ask “who made this and why?” — or do you only think about it after it’s already shaped your opinion?
Who Made This and Why?
The First Question That Changes Everything
In a world where content travels faster than context, one of the most powerful tools we have is curiosity: who made this, and why?
Every meme, video, headline, or infographic has an author and a motive. It might be to inform, persuade, entertain, sell, or manipulate. Sometimes it’s all of the above.
Why It Matters
Canadian Context
The Challenges
The Opportunities
The Bigger Picture
Critical thinking doesn’t start with fact-checking databases or advanced tools — it starts with a single question of authorship and motive. Asking it consistently is one of the most effective shields against manipulation.
The Question
When you see something that grabs your attention online, do you instinctively ask “who made this and why?” — or do you only think about it after it’s already shaped your opinion?