How to prevent misinformation

Quick tips
4 tips to help kids think critically about information

Children see information in lots of different places, including social media, group chats, gaming platforms, videos, search results and AI tools. Help your child build the habit of pausing, asking questions and checking information before they believe or share it.

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More on the page

• Why it’s important to prevent misinformation
• How to help children spot false information
• How to stop the spread of misinformation
• Featured misinformation articles

Why it’s important to prevent misinformation

Spreading false information can cause harm in different ways. So, it’s important to make children aware early.

Making sure that children have access to reliable information can help provide them with a balanced view of the world around them. It also helps them stay informed, therefore protecting them from scams and hoaxes.

Furthermore, some misinformation is incredibly harmful. It might encourage people to take harmful medications or avoid official guidance from educated people. This could lead to health problems, illness and further physical harm.

How to help children spot false information

Help children and young people develop their media literacy with these tips to spot false information. Knowing what to look for will help protect them from potential harms.

How to spot fake images

Fake images are nothing new. But with the reach of the internet, fake images can spread a lot further and fool a lot more people. Additionally, the popularity of generative artificial intelligence like ChatGPT means there’s an increased risk of fake images spreading.

Still, there are ways to fact check images to help stop the spread of misinformation.

The Secret Identity of HarleeGamez

Use this story to help teach critical thinking.

Use Google Lens

Children can use Google Lens on their device to check the source. Within the Google website, they can click the camera icon to upload an image and search that way. You can access it this way on Apple devices.

Android devices have the option to search via Google Lens embedded when you use Google Photos.

When you search an image, Google can find similar images and the websites they come from. You can then check the whether the sources are trustworthy. Misinformation can spread from untrustworthy sites as well as from incorrect context.

How to spot fake videos

Checking whether a video is real can be more difficult than checking an image. Videos can be edited, taken out of context or created using artificial intelligence. There is no single clue or tool that can always tell you whether a video is genuine, but there are things you and your child can check.

Deepfake technology: Can you spot what's real? | Source: BBC MY World

Close video

Some misleading videos use simple editing techniques, such as changing the speed or colour, adding a voiceover or cutting together different clips. These are sometimes known as “cheapfakes”.

Deepfakes, on the other hand, manipulate an existing video in less detectable ways through artificial intelligence. For example, they can make it look or sound as though a real person said or did something that never happened. So, how do you fact-check videos?

Look for anything unnatural

It’s hard to detect good deepfakes. One thing to look for, though, is strange or unnatural movements. Maybe the person blinks strangely, or perhaps their words don’t match their mouth movements. They might even move in sudden or unnatural ways.

These things are often very subtle, so you must look closely and possibly watch the video multiple times.

Listen to how people speak

If the video features a speaker, listen to the audio. Does it sound like it’s slowed down or sped up? Are there any points where the audio cuts in a strange way?

Speeding up or slowing down videos, even a little bit, affects the image as well. If the person is moving quickly or slowly, it might be a sign of editing.

These can be warning signs, but they do not prove that a video is fake. AI-generated content is becoming more convincing, and genuine videos can sometimes look unusual because of poor lighting, editing or a weak internet connection.

Check the background

A deepfake might feature someone in a place they haven’t been. So, signs of this could include a mismatch between the background and the person. Again, look closely as this might happen in one instant but be easily missed elsewhere.

Check who shared it

Look at the account or website that posted the video. Is it the original source or has someone shared it from somewhere else? Does the account explain who they are and where the video came from?

Remember that a professional-looking account, a verification badge or lots of followers does not automatically make something trustworthy.

Encourage your child to think about how the video makes them feel too. If it causes a strong reaction, such as fear, anger or excitement, pause before believing or sharing it. Some misleading content is designed to make people react quickly.

Find the original video

Videos are sometimes shared with a new caption or edited to remove important context. Search for the person, place or event shown to see if you can find the original version.

You can also pause the video, take a clear screenshot and use a reverse-image search tool such as Google Lens. This may help you find where the footage first appeared or show that it relates to a different event.

Check the date as well. A real video from several years ago can become misinformation if someone shares it as though it happened recently.

Check other trusted sources

See whether reliable news organisations, official websites or fact-checking services are reporting the same story. If a video appears to show a major event or a well-known person making an important announcement, there will usually be information about it elsewhere.

Do not rely only on comments beneath the video. Comments, likes and shares can also be misleading and do not prove that something is true.

What to do If you are still unsure

Your child does not need to decide with certainty whether every video is real or fake. If you cannot confirm where it came from or whether it is trustworthy, the safest choice is not to share it.

Encourage them to pause, check with a trusted adult and report the video if it is misleading or could cause harm.

How to stop the spread of misinformation

Helping children develop key media literacy and critical thinking skills can help stop the spread of misinformation.

Read it, check it and wait

Regardless of your child’s skill or ability, this phrase can help them think about what they share with others online.

Read it

• Teach your child to read the whole of whatever they see before sharing it. So, if it’s an article, that means reading the whole article and not just the headline. If it’s a video, it means watching the whole video and not just reading the title
• Clickbait titles often mislead people with outrageous statements so that people click through. As such, reading the whole article (if it’s from a safe source) is important

Check it

• Encourage children to find multiple sources for the information they find online before sharing it. For example, you might require them to find 2 more websites saying the same thing before sharing. Or, you might show them how to look up information on Full Fact or BBC Verify first

Questions to ask yourself

Here are some questions children and young people can ask themselves to determine if something is real or fake:

• Who wrote it? You can check the author on the page or go to the about us or contact pages to see who is the person or the organisation that have a Google search to see what else you can learn about this person or organisation from other sources to check if they are who they say they are
• Is this a promoted or paid piece of content? At times promoted ads at the bottom of reputable sites can be used to spread fake news. To spot them you’ll usually see an “Ad” tag next to the image or on the image. This could give you an idea around the intent behind the content. Is it trying to sell you something, or push a particular point of view?
• Does it promote a particular viewpoint? Sometimes it can be easier to believe something if we agree with the beliefs that are promoted in the content so it’s important to not take things at face value even if we agree with them
• Does it make you feel something (angry, happy, sad?) Fake news is often written to trigger an emotional response in people because that makes them more likely to engage with or share it
• Can you find it on a reputable site? Try and look around to find other trusted sources that have written about it to see if it checks out when compared side by side
• Are there any typos or other errors in the content? You will often find fake news sites will contain a lot of typos and grammatical errors on the site and URL
• Check the date – Some stories are not completely fake but are a more distorted version of real events so checking the date can help you determine if what is being said is real or fake

Wait

• Explain to your child that if anything appears too good to be true, it probably is. Or, if they still feel worried after fact-checking a source, it’s best not to share it
• Instead, give it a couple of days to see what other people think, and if you still like the story then consider sharing it

Improving children’s media literacy

Encouraging children to question the information they see online develops their critical thinking skills. When a child can think critically about a piece of information — who and where it comes from, what it’s purpose is, etc. — they can better deal with content online.

Media literacy is not just reading content online, but assessing it before sharing and discussing content with others.

Help children develop their media literacy with Digital Matters.

Have regular check-ins with children

Talking to your child about what they do and see online can help them reflect on their experiences. You can also work together by highlighting examples of mis or disinformation and discussing them.

If you’re stuck on where to start the conversation, remember that simple things can help, like discussing the difference between fact and opinion.

For younger children, you can talk about how information online is made and why. Explain that all things online have a reason behind them. The reason could be to share information or spread awareness. However, those reasons might also be making money, misleading people or becoming famous.

With older children, it’s important to stress that we tend to trust things that we agree with more than those we don’t. This is called bias. Even if they read something online that they don’t agree with, it’s important to take a step back and consider both sides.

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