I study how we get misled online. So I built tools to protect our attention.
Introducing IgnoreMore: free tools for deciding what deserves your attention and time.
If you study misinformation for a living, you get trolled a lot. Not just polite disagreement, I mean people who show up angry and use me as a stand-in for whatever political or emotional grievance they’re carrying. Often they don’t even engage with anything I’ve said. They just project or vent.
I’ve learned to ignore most of it over time. This is part of a media literacy skill called “critical ignoring,” which I describe in more detail here.
Of course, I’m not the only person who gets trolled online, it’s an unfortunately common experience. And engaging with trolls can cost far more than the few minutes you spend typing a reply. Ruminating about a negative interaction with someone can increase your cortisol levels (which can last into the next day), and disrupt sleep. On top of that, studies find that many trolls simply enjoy bothering people, so productive dialogue is unlikely. And this happens while giving them a free algorithm boost.
The tricky part is that identifying a troll isn't always straightforward. I genuinely want to hear from people with different viewpoints, and I value constructive criticism. But I'm also a big proponent of critical ignoring. That tension is exactly what I've been thinking about lately, and it's part of why I've been building something new.
The Misguided Toolkit
Social science research tells us a lot about how misinformation spreads, why people fall for it, and how social identities & networks shape what we believe. But knowing the science only goes so far. Something more actionable are tools that are easy to use so we can all better navigate our information environments.
So I started building some tools! They’re free, research-backed, and live at matthewfacciani.github.io/tools.
Two are live right now that I recently discussed on my newsletter:
Identity Map — Visualize the complexity of your social identities and how they shape what you believe. Your identities are lenses. This tool makes them visible.
Network Diversity Audit — Assess how diverse your close network really is, and what that means for how you process information. The people around you shape what reaches you. This tool helps you see that clearly.
These are tools for self-knowledge: understanding the lenses you bring to information before you even encounter it. Both are in early versions, I'll keep improving them and building more.
Introducing IgnoreMore
Research suggests most of us spend far more time online than we actually want to, and the platforms are specifically designed to keep it that way. A 2024 survey found that 53% of Gen Z and 46% of millennials report doomscrolling "a lot" or "some." Another study found that people regretted at least some part of their social media use in 60% of sessions, and regretted all their use in nearly 40% of sessions. This isn't a personal failing. It's a structural problem.
That's why I built IgnoreMore.com. The flagship tool will be the Critical Ignoring Companion. Paste a comment you received online. Get a verdict: reply, ignore, or block — with a simple explanation grounded in the research.
The tool is designed to recognize patterns like distraction tactics, personal attacks, and overwhelm strategies, while also flagging genuine good-faith disagreement that’s actually worth your time. That distinction matters. I don’t want a tool that tells you to ignore everything. I want one that helps you protect your attention without closing yourself off.
Longer term, I want to expand this into a fuller suite: tools to help you manage screen time, evaluate whether a source or claim is worth looking into further, and navigate the information landscape more intentionally. These critical ignoring tools will help you protect your attention, time, and well-being.
One feature I'm excited about is a weekly summary: a rough estimate of how much time you may have saved by using IgnoreMore. It will track how many comments you chose to ignore, how much screen time you logged, and how many rabbit holes you sidestepped, then roll those into a single number. The estimates are imperfect since rumination time after a hostile interaction varies by person, and screen time savings depend on what you'd have done otherwise. But that's not really the point. The goal isn't a precise measurement. It's a gut check, a way to see that your attention can be protected and that you're making intentional choices about it.
Here's what that might look like:
What’s next, and where you come in
That bigger vision will be shaped by you. I’m sharing this early because I’m genuinely excited about it, and your input will help determine what it becomes.
If you want early access when the prototype is ready, want to share feedback, or just stay in the loop, fill out this quick two-minute form. You can leave just your email or share more detailed thoughts, whatever you prefer. My paid Substack subscribers will automatically get early access to IgnoreMore tools and a direct line to chat with me about what they’d like to see.
Ultimately, my goal is for science communication to have impact, and I hope the research I’ve done in social psychology can help us better navigate our noisy information ecosystem.
Nice goin!