I recently listened to Delaney Rushton’s podcast on how to check our sources which started me thinking about how we teach our teens and tweens to verify what they are reading before they repost or internalize the information. I remember being taught to check on the age of the source I was quoting but now I realize that incorrect information can be very up to date so this is no longer useful checking mechanism. Common Sense media also recently added an article about how to help young voters to decode the news and a quick sheet to help parents to educate their elementary children to spot fake news and decode media messages.
One other article in the Harvard Gazette highlighted a study about disinformation and influence campaigns. We tend to accept claims that conform to what we would like to believe whether they are true or not. The article claims that we believe, we remember, share and hold onto this type of information better as human beings. This article suggests that news reporters, instead of sharing “newsworthy” information which may gartner readship for their shock value, should go back to checking their information and not quoting misleading or misrepresentative information that might be remembered, taint our beliefs and move us farther from the truth.
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