

Fact: a piece of information presented as having objective reality
Opinion: a belief stronger than an impression and less strong than positive knowledge
Merriam-Webster Dictionary knows the difference between a fact and an opinion. Do you? According to a study by the Pew Research Center, only about one of every four Americans has a solid grasp on the difference. And in this fast-paced information age, that’s important. The study comes at a time when claims of “fake news” fly and fabrications circulate on social media faster than they can be fact-checked.
The Pew survey polled 5,035 adult Americans. Participants were given 10 statements from news stories. Half were verifiable facts and half were opinions. Those surveyed were asked to declare each statement as a fact or an opinion.
Can you classify this: “Democracy is the greatest form of government”? How about this: “Immigrants who were born in the U.S. illegally have some rights under the Constitution”?
According to the Pew findings, Americans tend to label as facts those statements they agree with. They label as opinions those they disagree with. Political bias does shape agreement. But both conservatives and liberals alike were more likely to call a news statement a “fact” if it appealed to their side.
About 26 percent in the survey correctly identified all five factual statements. Opinions were slightly easier to recognize, with 35 percent correctly classifying those. But roughly a quarter of respondents got all or most of the statements wrong. And if someone thought a statement was a fact, then that person also considered the statement accurate and trustworthy—even if, in reality, the statement was an opinion.
What does this say about how Americans process information that forms actions? Psychologists say that feelings shape beliefs and beliefs shape actions. But feelings are not always trustworthy. The Lord, in Jeremiah 17:9, specifies this to us: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”
People too often twist words and give partial truths to manipulate others’ responses. It all began in the Garden of Eden when our enemy did that very thing, saying to Eve, “Did God really say…?” Eve knew what God had said. But her feelings won. She wanted to believe something different—and so she acted badly.
Christians have both the responsibility and the God-given resources to evaluate information and emotions that shape beliefs and actions. God’s word and His Holy Spirit can expose falsehoods and lead in right actions.
Therefore, in all your ways acknowledge Him. He will guide your actions and make your paths straight.
That’s a fact.
Interesting article. The
Interesting article. The survey's results are really surprising.
hmmm...I have to agree with
hmmm...I have to agree with you Anna
Wow
Me too.
milk
A survey suggests that 7% of Americans think that Chocolate milk comes from brown cows. That works out to be 16.4 million people
Huh?
I learned the difference in FIRST GRADE!
HO MY
HO MY
A.R.
Zack, that's a pretty funny (or not so funny) statistic. I think it's because people are so disconnected to their food and to farmers now days. That is certainly not a funny thing.
facts and opinions
Everyone has different opinions, and sometimes they get in they way of the truth
Chocolate milk comes from Brown cows?!
I stopped thinking that when I was like 5! it may have helped that my grandfather is a farmer but still!
My aunts' students got
My aunts' students got grossed out when she told them that milk came from cows!
it is interesting
l also think that this article is interesting just like like Anna C but it is also kinda of sad that a majority of people don't know the difference between fact and opinion.
Karisma S
People actually thought that chocolate milk came from brown cows? (If that happens to be a true fact, sign me up to buy the next brown cow!)
Wow, I didn't some people
Wow, I didn't some people thought that! I guess I always thought you could make it with milk and chocolate syrup:)
I don't remember ever
I don't remember ever believing that! This may be the first time I have ever heard of that.
look...
look at the slide show.
Opinion as Truth?
Since when did we become so dependant on not only our personal comfortable opinion but also other's opinion on what we do and say. It feels like everything we decide is based not on real truth or reality but rather on what appeals to other people more. Not only is this immoral but it also harms us in many major ways. We see ourselves differently when we try and look through other people's eyes as illustrated in the image above. This can even be a cause of depression when people see themselves as ugly and terrible. Why do they see themselves this way? Its because they are judging themselves from other's standards and not God's.
Hope you enjoyed this! ;)
christian
I love WORLDTEEN's Christian-based news stories and the Bible verses they add to all their stories. You should see Drug Gang's Biggest Threat
Intristing.
That is pretty sad.
Kind of like apologetics.
Kind of like apologetics. People are so narrow minded these day, that using logical facts to back anything up is like...MIND BLOWING! I have a friend who tells kids at his school about God by using apologetics. He's really good at it too because nobody can argue with logical facts and if they do, they must have a really small brain.
that's really sad that no one
that's really sad that no one can discern between the two anymore
who thinks WORLDTEEN is the
who thinks WORLDTEEN is the best?
I agree, AR
I definetly agree. It seems like the last time anyone has updated their idea about food and farmers was 100000000 years ago! Our family farms, so I know about farming and stuff like that. No, farmers don't always wear straw hats. No, they AREN'T uneducated. Not all tractors are green, not all farmers have a big red barn, not all farmers are big Christians :(.......
and no, they don't walk around with a piece of wheat hanging out of their mouths!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hayden and Raina
this is a sad article
@ANNA C.
Me three.
@JADA H.
I think that WORLDTeen is the greatest! I wonder if the people who write these things ever come on here and read our comments.....
WHOOPS
*Articles, not things :-)
How old is the magazine?
Are they going to change the magazine? and that man is a little funny.
Chocolate milk from brown cows!??
I LEARNED THE DIFFERENCE BEFORE I LEARNED TO TALK!!
MY MOM TOLD ME IT!
AND IM ELEVEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
30th comment
awesome, 30 comments.
Hmmm
So sad the number of people who identified all five facts. Only a little over a quarter were able to!