The Way We Lie Now
In her stimulating and insightful article, “The Way We Lie Now1,” journalist Megan Garber addresses the abnormal, evolving relationship today between technology and deception. “Technology makes it easier than ever to play fast and loose with the truth-but easier than ever to get caught,” (15) this opening statement by Megan Garber summarizes her whole article in just one condensed sentence. By hiding behind the screen of a phone or a computer, lying is easier than ever, but also increases the chances of getting caught because of how advanced technology has become. Most of us lie on a regular basis and according to a survey in 2011, “people in the United States on average lie 1.65 times per day” (15). Megan Garber also references a reputable source, Cornell Professor Jeff Hancock, who has spent his life doing extensive research on deception. Garber uses Hancock’s findings to attest deception through digital communication, “one in 10 text messages involves a lie of some kind” (16). Garber then uses survey results from The Consumer Report and study results to defend her position on deception through social media websites. In the survey, “one in four people admitted to falsifying information on Facebook” (16) and according to the study, “81 percent of online daters exaggerated their attributes on their profiles” (16). These statistics prove Garber’s position that social media websites and phones “offer ideal environments for truth-stretching” (16). “More than ever before, our communications leave trails,” (16) this statement alleged by Garber, discloses how every time we update our Facebook status, text somebody, or email someone, we leave a digital footprint of our daily lives for the world to unveil. Garber wraps-up her thought-provoking article with a strong statement made by Hancock describing that “his young daughter will grow up in a world where not only what she says is recorded, but much of what she does” (16). Garber then ends with a question for her