For today’s children, growing up in an online world means navigating an increasingly complex information environment, where fact and fiction can sit side by side. With social media and AI shaping what we see, knowing what to trust – and what to question – has never been more important.
Summary
- Children regularly encounter misleading content online: Nearly two thirds (68%) say they have seen a form of misleading content online, in a six-month period, which can leave them feeling less trusting of the news, confused and anxious.
- A top online safety concern of parents is their child coming across misinformation online, with 73% concerned, up from 49% in 2020.
- Internet Matters has launched Find the Fake, an interactive quiz helping children spot misleading content and build essential critical thinking skills.
The rise of misinformation, fake news and AI-generated content online
Mis- and disinformation, fake news and AI-generated content are now part of everyday life. Nearly two thirds (68%) of children say they had seen a form of misleading content online in a six-month period, according to Internet Matters Pulse. This most commonly is happening on social media. Among children who have encountered false or misleading information in the past year, TikTok was the platform where they were most likely to have seen it (47%), followed by YouTube (38%), Instagram (27%) and Facebook (26%).
This false or misleading information can take many forms. The most common types children report encountering in include scams and fake giveaways (25%), false stories about celebrities (25%) and false or misleading information about news events (18%). Some examples shared by children included:
“Eating so many kiwis helps build muscle” – Boy, 14
“People trying to claim they are testing products but actually trying to sell them.” – Boy, 13
“A viral social media post falsely claiming that a new tax law would take 40% of all savings over £20,000…” – Boy, 14
The spread of this content online is growing, as AI increases the pace at which it can be produced, while also making it harder to identify what is true and false. Internet Matters research from 2025 found that 27% of children have believed a fake or AI-generated news story and a further 41% think they have.
Exposure to this content can have a real impact on children’s wellbeing and understanding of the world, causing them to feel worried (13%), confused (19%) and less trusting of content (30%). Overall, seven in ten children (68%) report being negatively affected by misleading content when they have come across it. However, the impacts go beyond wellbeing – if children cannot confidently judge what information to trust, it can affect how they understand and engage with the world around them.
Given this environment, it is unsurprising that parents are concerned too. Their child coming across misinformation online is now the top online safety concern of parents (73%), alongside screen time (73%). Since 2020 we have seen a 49% increase in parents concern (2020: 49% of parents concerned).
Supporting media and digital literacy: Find the Fake
When children want to check whether something they have seen online is true, they most frequently turn to a trusted adult (59%). However, AI is increasingly becoming a source of information and reassurance, with 23% of children and 30% of parents saying they use AI to check whether information is accurate. This is concerning given that AI can itself provide inaccurate or misleading information. Research from the BBC found that AI assistants and search overviews have been found to misrepresent news content 45% of the time (BBC, Audience Use and Perceptions of AI Assistants for News, 2025). This makes it even more important that children develop the skills and confidence to question what they see online and check information against trusted sources.
To help children build these skills, we have launched a new version of ‘Find the Fake’, a series of fun, interactive quizzes designed to help children develop essential media literacy skills. Through a mix of real and fake content, children are challenged to spot mis- and disinformation, understand how AI can be used to create convincing but misleading content, think critically about online information and explore how false information spreads.
Designed to spark discussion, debate and curiosity, Find the Fake encourages children to look beyond first impressions and question what they see online. The quizzes can be done independently, with a parent or carer at home, or as part of healthy competition in the classroom.
Further action needed
Every child should have the opportunity to develop the media and digital literacy skills they need to navigate an online world.
As trusted adults are children’s main source of information about online safety, it is essential that parents, carers and teachers have tools to support children. Find the Fake provides a practical way to start conversations about misleading information – at home or in the classroom – and help children build the confidence to navigate what they see online.
But this responsibility should not rest with parents and teachers alone.
That’s why we are calling on the government to provide schools with clear guidance, and the training and recourses they need to teach children about misinformation, fake news and AI with confidence. Platforms also have a responsibility to make the online environments children use safer and to help users understand when content may be misleading or AI-generated.
As misinformation becomes harder to spot and AI makes convincing content easier to create, giving children the skills and knowledge to question, understand and navigate what they see online has never been more important.
