CLARITY METHOD — How to Debunk Viral Myths

A step-by-step look at how to slow down emotional viral posts, separate claims from reactions, and decide what’s actually true — using the 3 Ps Clarity Method.

Resources for this Episode

When a viral post hits your feed and triggers a strong emotional reaction, it can be hard to tell whether you’re responding to facts — or to the way the message is designed to make you feel.

 In this episode of American Together, I walk through the exact process I used after a viral post about Social Security made my stomach drop — not because I didn’t know anything about the topic, but because the post felt urgent, emotional, and convincing.

This episode isn’t about that specific post.  And it’s not about proving anyone wrong. It’s about showing how to slow the moment down, separate emotion from claims, and figure out what’s actually being said — so you can decide what to do before reacting or sharing.

 We use the 3 Ps Clarity Method throughout the episode: Pause. Pinpoint Truth. Proceed with Purposeful Forethought. Because strong emotion can feel like certainty — but clarity takes a little more time.

 ☝️ Truth Check: A strong emotional reaction isn’t proof that a claim is true — it’s often a sign that something just pushed a button.

 🎯 In this episode, we walk through:

• Why the first step isn’t fact-checking, but noticing the emotional hit

• How viral posts bundle multiple claims inside a single emotional story

• Why separating claims from narratives matters before verification

• What it actually means to trace a source — and what doesn’t count

• How to verify claims without looking for just one confirming source

• Why timing and missing context can change how information should be understood

• How to distinguish claims that are false from those that are misleading

• How emotional manipulation patterns shift attention away from explanation

• How to choose what to do next — thoughtfully, not reactively

 🧭 Want to go deeper on these skills?  🧭

This episode uses several skills that are explored more deeply in other American Together episodes. If you’d like to spend more time with any of them, these episodes may be helpful:

• The 3 Ps Clarity Method (Pause → Pinpoint Truth → Proceed)
 → Welcome to American Together

• Why strong emotions can block fact-checking
 → Why We Don’t Fact-Check: Psychological Barriers
 → Why We Don’t Fact-Check: Social & Cultural Influences

• How to evaluate sources instead of trusting just one
 → How to Spot Reliable Sources

• How to slow down disagreement without escalating
 → How to Disagree Better

You don’t need to watch these in order. They’re here if you want to explore any of these skills more fully.

💬 Join the Conversation 💬

 Think about a post that triggered a strong reaction before you knew whether it was accurate.

•  What helped you pause long enough to look a little deeper — or what might help next time?

Join the conversation on the American Together YouTube channel under How to Debunk Viral Myths | American Together video, or in our upcoming community space (coming soon).

🛠 3 Ps in Action: Comment Edition 🛠
Need a little extra help shaping your reply? This quick guide uses the same 3 Ps process I use myself: Pause, Pinpoint Truth, Proceed with Purposeful Forethought.

🔎 Full Sources & Further Reading 🔎

• Episode Sources (clickable)

  1. American Psychological Association. (2022, September 26). Using psychological science to fight misinformation.(apa.org)

  2. Lewandowsky, S., Ecker, U. K. H., & Cook, J. (2017). Beyond misinformation: Understanding and coping with the “post-truth” era.Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, 6(4), 353–369. (doi.org)

  3. Stanford History Education Group. (2016, November 22). Evaluating information: The cornerstone of civic online reasoning.(stacks.stanford.edu)

• Further Resources (clickable)

  1.  News Literacy Project — Free lessons and tools that help people of all ages spot misinformation and verify sources.

  2.  Media Bias/Fact Check — Outlet database with bias and factual-reporting ratings; use it to compare perspectives, not crown one “right.”

  3.  Stanford History Education Group – Civic Online Reasoning — Research-based digital-literacy lessons on evaluating online information.

  4.  American Psychological Association – Psychology topics — Hub of readable articles on cognition, reasoning, misinformation, social media, and more.

🔗 Continue the Journey 🔗

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