Let's talk about trust

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 Do you trust the internet?

Pure speculation, but I would wager many would say no. However, when you look at the behavior of the "many" their actions say yes.

Consider where you get your news, how you view your favorite influencers, or the causes you choose to give to or advocate for. Do your actions demonstrate distrust? Do you fact-check that report from your friend in Miami on the recent fires? Or do you look at that influencer's outfit of the day inspiration and say, "There's no way I would ever wear that." That political leader you follow—how much research do you do independently before giving money to the cause they want you to believe in.

How about internet relationships? How cautious were you before meeting that guy you matched with on Tinder? What about the others on the Discord channel for your favorite game? Did you find their background, occupation, or family information? Yes? Okay, did it come from the internet as well? Do you see the pattern of ways we not only begin to trust the internet but also rely on it for trustworthy information?

More often than not, I believe our actions are ones of those who have trust in the internet. We are confident to share things and follow others more than at any other time in history.

But this trust did not occur overnight. Trust in internet relationships, like any other relationship, needs to be built.

Think back to your internet friends on Discord or your favorite influencer on TikTok. How often did you chat with them or look at their content? Do you feel as though you know a bit about their personal life?

One influencer I followed for a long time was Lucie B Fink. At the time I followed her, she was working for Refinery 29 in New York and was creating content full-time. Her signature videos were "5 days 

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