With so many sources of information online, it has become difficult to make sense of what content is based on fact, half-truths or lies. This page explains what fake news is and how it can impact those who see it.
our news fake news can be found embedded
in traditional news social media or fake
news sites and has no basis in fact but
is presented as being factually accurate
this has allowed hackers controls even
politicians to use the net to spread
disinformation online our children can
struggle to separate fact from fiction
thanks to the spread of fake news here
are some basic strategies to help them
develop critical digital literacy talk
to them children rely more on their
family than social media for their news
so talk to them about what is going on
read many people share stories who don't
actually read encourage your kids to
read beyond the headline check teach
children quick and easy ways to check
the reliability of information like
considering the source doing a search to
double-check the author's credibility
seeing if the information is available
on reputable sites and using credible
fact-checking websites to get more
information
get involved digital literacy is about
participation teach your kids to be
honest vigilant and creative digital
citizens fake news spreads
misinformation and anxiety among
schoolchildren but they are more
literate and resilient than you might
think if we give them the tools to tell
that foundation their digital literacy
will make the Internet a great place for
us all to find out what is going on in
the world
`{`Music`}`
Fake news stories use technology and social media to look like proper news sites. Organisations and political groups may target you with ads that look like the news. While hackers use bots, bits of software, to create multiple social media accounts and use those to spread disinformation.
This can make a false story seem real, simply because it looks like it has been shared by so many people. Fake news can fall into two categories:
Disinformation
False information that’s created and shared to deliberately cause harm.
Misinformation
Generally used to refer to misleading information created or disseminated without a deliberate intent to cause harm.
Most misinformation and disinformation can look very convincing. Especially with the role of AI and deep fakes that can create videos that look incredibly real. Money Saving Expert, Martin Lewis has talked at length about a series of AI adverts that look incredibly real. However, these are all part of a scam.
There are a few different ways that this information can then spread:
Fake social media posts and accounts help make misinformation viral. Sometimes this is then reported as fact by real journalists. When it becomes the news, the line between fact and fiction becomes blurred.
Fake news presents strong, often prejudiced opinions, as fact. It can also direct these opinions to those most likely to agree to reinforce them. This so-called “echo-chamber” effect is made worse by algorithms, clever bits of software, which encourage you to read material similar to what you are already sharing. Hackers often hack or manipulate these algorithms.
Nearly all children are now online, but many of them are not emotionally equipped to deal with the challenges of a fake news online culture. Half of the children asked in an interview with the National Literacy Trust admitted to being worried about fake news. While teachers surveyed on the matter noted a real increase in issues of anxiety, self-esteem, and a general skewing of world views.
According to the National Literacy Trust, more than half of 12-15 year-olds go to social media as their regular source of news
According to the National Literacy Trust, it’s estimated that only 2% of school children have the critical literacy skills to tell the difference between real and fake news.
Fake news can take many different forms, here are a few examples of the most common.
They look like traditional newspapers online but are not – they often showcase images and videos that have been manipulated.
Ads that contain scams or false claims.
This refers to a person who uses their skills to gain unauthorised access to systems and networks in order to commit crimes such as identity theft or often holding systems hostage to collect ransom.
They have no intention to cause harm but have the potential to fool people into thinking content is real (examples: Onion or Daily Mash site).
This is when technology is used to replicate live facial movements of a person in a video and audio to make it seem real. Some of these videos have gone viral where high-profile people like President Barack Obama and Mark Zuckerberg have been impersonated in fake clips.
These are accounts that use fake online identities to mislead or manipulate public opinion.
Although not an example of fake news, these are fake profiles, mainly on social media, that are created to spread fake news using automated technology.
Articles or news stories that use fake facts to distort a particular issue or an individual.
People, often politicians, willing to use fake news stories to gain popular support.
These are posts, articles and videos that you may see in social feeds or websites that use dramatic headlines or claims for free items or results to get as many people to click on the article, i.e. ‘you won’t believe what…’.They may have eye catching images, an emotive or humorous tone to get people’s attention.
These typically are imposter emails, text, or websites that pretend to come from a reputable organisation in order to gain someone’s personal information. Learn more about phishing with advice from ESET.
Disinformation that often spreads because of its sensational topic. It could spread through fake news stories, through videos on social media and in different ways. Learn about hoaxes on TikTok.
Here's further advice and resources to support children and young people on this issue:
