About

#FilterTheNoise was born out of two events.

First, the 2016 Brexit vote. With a French mother and British father, having benefited greatly from European integration, I watched with disbelief as the UK drifted away from mainland Europe. I set out to understand why, discovered a confused world of information, political manipulation, dark actors, powerful targeted ads and voter psychology.

When Covid-19 came around, affecting the very fabric of society, it was obvious how unequipped we were with dealing with the incessant of information on the web. We struggled to see what constituted a valid source, failed to distinguish between fact and opinion, misunderstood the nature of scientific knowledge. Misinformation and conspiracies grew, inflated by the emotions of our human nature, bots and an ad-driven model of the web.

In the intertwined world of media and politics, these both events laid bare our inability to rewire our critical thinking. This had direct consequences for society, citizens unable to filter the information thrown at them and take the best course of action.

➡️ A few years ago, I started creating learning resources for students and teachers on the topic of what is called media literacy, providing the basics on how to search, assess and source information online, but also covering important topics such as online bullying or net neutrality. These acted as the basis from which #FilterTheNoise was born.

"What do you think of Covid?"

We had barely been speaking for a few minutes, but I already knew where he was going when he bluntly asked me the question. I had just given a workshop and the man came up to me, eager to talk.

My job is therefore not to change their mind, but to plant a seed in them, open them up to doubt, to nuance, to the importance of being able to back up what we say with facts and credible sources. I seemed to get through to him and this partly happened because we were speaking in flesh and blood; I am not so sure of the impact had our interaction been in the polarised online world.

➡️ I wish to have as many conversations like this as I can. I want to speak with those online trolls, have a conversation with social media decision-makers on how their product enhances division and hate and do workshops in parts of the country with high abstention rates.

I have the tools to do this. My philosophy studies showed me to the importance of sound argumentation, of rational discourse and clarity of thought. My subsequent travels, life and work experiences have opened my mind to the many lenses through which we see the world and to not judge people from the get go. Teaching meanwhile has provided me with the patience and pedagogy needed in education. I am not here to tell them what to think, but to make sure they think in a rational way.

I personally worry about the inequalities of our world, providing fertile ground for the rise of the far-right, the normalisation of their views and the gradual erosion of our democracies. The need to rewire our critical thinking has never been greater and education is the key path forward.