I shared a post once on Facebook about how Fred Rogers was supposedly a war hero. I was very impressed with the story until someone called me to task for posting something untrue. I followed up with a little research, and not only was the hero part a fabrication—he had never even been in the military.

It is getting harder and harder to discern truth with so much false information flooding social media.

The post was positive, but still completely false. I took it down immediately and decided to check things out from then on before sharing.

It can seem harmless enough and so easy to just hit "share," but we need to be careful to not use or share idle words.

"But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:36).

It is getting harder and harder to discern truth with so much false information flooding social media.

The Internet can be a powerful tool for good, but without careful consideration it can be an instrument for evil. Hold anything you decide to place out there up to the light of the commandment to not bear false witness.

Posts on social media need not be impulsive. Most are easily researched in just a few minutes' time.

Consider whether you have personal knowledge of what you are posting. A disgruntled employee or a competitor can do a lot of harm by spreading false information about companies or organizations—don't become an unwitting tool in their hands. I have seen the stories that target certain companies and have thousands upon thousands of people hit the Like button, or make a comment that is negative toward the company because of the post. Could they all have personal knowledge of the incident that allegedly took place?

"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things" (Philippians 4:8).