Helping My Child Spot Fake News Online

The days of sitting down with the evening newspaper to marinate and mull over the national and local news are long gone.

Today’s information is delivered fast and furiously over the high-tech devices and provides supposed facts at a rapid-fire pace. News sources are under incredible pressure to get the “scoop” but the speed of instant news does not come without a high price.

It takes time and earnest thought to think things through to figure out the essence of the actual story, but the demand for instant news takes precedence.

Factual information gets lost in translation. By the time the news source figures out the real story, the audience has moved on to the next soundbite, and in some cases, the false information is left out in cyberspace to be repeatedly shared by unsuspecting viewers.

Sharing Fake News is a Growing Problem

Learning to negotiate the online world can be a daunting task for children and teens. Even adults can find this daunting. The urge to share a shocking meme or story is hard to ignore.

The non-profit News Literacy Project investigated verified true and false news stories using Twitter over a 10-year time span. The study discovered that false news was generally more novel than real news, and people are more likely to share novel information.

Interestingly, the responses to actual news stories reportedly inspired the emotions of joy, trust, sadness, and anticipation. The false news reports stimulated reactions of fear, disgust or surprise.

People, in general, were more likely to share novel false information, particularly of a political nature. According to the News Literacy Project, the top 1% of fake news articles can reach up to 100,000 readers, while actual stories rarely surpass 1,000 viewers.

How Can a Parent Help?

There are lots of ways to help but being present and mindful of your child's online activities is the first step. Be a good example and learn how to spot fake news.

Pause before sharing titillating tidbits either online or in person. Fake news is usually not positive, and sharing it can be harmful to another and embarrassing to the person who shared it.

The website Teaching Kids News offers the following fake news resources (which adults can also use):

• Read the Stanford Study on Kids and Fake News

• Do a reverse Google search

• Copy or paste any article URL into Real or Satire to find out quickly if it’s true

• Watch Common Sense’s Video on How to Spot Fake News

• Review How Stuff Work’s 10 Ways to Spot Fake News Stories

Pause, and a Little Perseverance Goes Far in Helping Kids Get the Right Information

Help your kids be investigative reporters themselves and learn to ask the next question to make a thoughtful decision about the information they are considering.

1. Is the source credible? Is it a well-known paper, magazine, or website? Well-known sources have reputations to uphold; they can be more likely to verify facts, and be thoughtful and responsible about what they publish. 

2. Are multiple sites reporting a similar story? An easy and quick rule is to check significant news networks to see if they are weighing in on breaking news. Everyone wants in on the action with big news stories, and if only one site is reporting on it, it is suspect news.

3. Does the story make sense? The good old who, what, where, when, how and why scenario works well here. Is there missing information in the story. A good reporter gets the fundamental facts right as soon as possible. If structural pieces are missing, then the legitimacy of the story is suspect. Eyewitnesses, experts, and references legitimize the information.

Learn More

Stay updated on digital trends and learn how to maintain a healthy relationship with technology by joining our community. Subscribe below for email updates!