Over a third, (34%) of parents said they were concerned fake news and misinformation would make their children worried or anxious.
Increasingly, those creating ‘fake news’ (disinformation and misinformation) are making it more difficult to spot. At times even well-established news organisations find themselves reporting on stories based on false information gathered through social networks which originate from a fake post (an example of this is the Blue whale challenge).
While having access to information is vital, the increase of fake news online, particularly around the COVID-19 pandemic, has made it more urgent to help children and young people develop their critical thinking to spot the difference between fact and fiction online.
From research, we know that only 2% of children and young people in the UK have the critical literacy skills they need to tell whether a news story is real or fake. [Source]
Explore our fake news and misinformation advice hub to learn more about what fake news is, how to protect your child from it, and how to deal with it if they have been affected by it.
Over a third, (34%) of parents said they were concerned fake news and misinformation would make their children worried or anxious.
Parents put schools as the most trusted source of information.
*Source: Research was commissioned by Internet Matters as part of its Impact Tracking by third-party research partner Opinium in October 2020, who surveyed 2,006 UK parents.
