February 27, 2025 • 35 mins
Misinformation has become a dominant force in today’s digital landscape, and teenagers are often the most vulnerable to its spread.
In this compelling episode, we explore the fascinating psychology behind why smart individuals—even educators—can fall for fake news.
We delve into the science of cognitive biases like confirmation bias, which can skew how teens perceive and react to information. This conversation sheds light on the emotional triggers that drive them toward sensational headlines and the role of social media algorithms in amplifying misleading news.
Empowering your teen to navigate this complex world is our ultimate goal.
Learn practical, science-backed strategies designed to cultivate critical thinking skills among young people.
Discover engaging challenges and tools that encourage discerning evaluation of content online, making fact-checking not just a necessity, but a fun part of their everyday life.
Ultimately, this episode serves as a call to action for parents: instead of dismissing viral claims, let’s partner with our teens to fact-check together, instilling essential skills that will last a lifetime.
Join us in raising a generation of critical thinkers who are equipped to face the challenges of misinformation head-on!
Be sure to subscribe, share, and join our community in empowering your teenagers today.
If you enjoyed today's episode, please take the time to rate our podcast. Your rating means the world to us and it allows us to continue to share and grow our message of support to other fabulous humans out there!
For more free resources, check out my guide to the 5 secret habits of teens who succeed. Jam packed with advice, tips and strategies. Yours free!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello, welcome.
You have arrived at.
Challenge your Mind, change theWorld.
This is the podcast where wedive into the latest science,
psychology and real-worldstrategies to help you, as
wonderful parents out there,raise confident,
critical-thinking teens intoday's world.
I'm your host, francesca Hudson, and today's episode is one I
(00:20):
think every parent needs rightnow.
It's this Today we're talkingabout fact versus opinion,
helping your teen to navigatemisinformation online.
Super important, super relevant,because, let's be real, your
teen or your tween spends hoursonline.
(00:41):
Tiktok, youtube, instagram,discord and Reddit have become
their primary sources of news,and while social media is great
for connection, it's also abreeding ground, unfortunately,
for misinformation.
In fact, studies show thatfalse news spreads six times yep
, six times faster than thetruth.
(01:04):
So how do we, as parents and aseducators and as mentors, help
our teens become media savvy,fact-checking superheroes,
rather than just passiveconsumers of misleading content?
And that's exactly what we'retackling today, because I know,
as a parent myself, my childrenspend a lot of time online and
(01:28):
we got into really bad habitsway back when we were in
lockdown during COVID and eversince then we haven't really
been able to wean ourselves offdevices and off technology.
So how do we manage this asparents.
So today I'm going to belooking at the psychology behind
(01:49):
why people fall formisinformation, and that
includes even smart teenagers.
We're going to be looking athow AI and algorithms fuel the
spread of fake news, and I'msticking very much to the center
here.
I'm not going off into any kindof opinion or political tangent
, don't worry.
I am just looking at how thescience spreads fake news AI,
(02:14):
algorithms, staying with science.
We're also going to look atsome practical, science-backed
strategies to help your teendevelop critical thinking skills
for themselves strategies tohelp your teen develop critical
thinking skills for themselves.
And then, finally, I want topresent a fact-checking
challenge that makes learningfun for your family.
So stick around, because by theend of this episode, you'll
have some actionable ways toturn your teenager into a truth
(02:38):
detective rather than a victimof online misinformation.
So let's get started.
I thought I'd start with aburning question why do smart
people, even adults, fall forfake news?
Now, a 2023 study from MIT'sMedia Lab found that
misinformation isn't just aboutintelligence.
(03:00):
It's also about cognitivelaziness, and this means that
even well-educated people,including scientists and
scholars, can fall for falseinformation if they aren't
actively engaging their criticalthinking skills.
This is why critical thinkingis so important, such an
important skill to startdeveloping in our teens.
(03:20):
So, in a world where content isendless, most of us don't
deeply analyze every postheadline video we encounter.
Instead, we tend to skim or wetend to react emotionally and
just move on.
And when we're in that passivemode of consuming information,
our brains rely on shortcuts,which is where misinformation
(03:43):
sneaks in.
Here are the three biggestreasons people, especially
teenagers, fall misinformation.
The first reason is called theconfirmation bias.
We believe what aligns with ourexisting opinions.
Have you ever noticed that whenwe see an article that aligns
with what we already believe,we're more likely to trust it?
(04:05):
Well, that's confirmation biasat work.
For example, if someone alreadythinks video games make
teenagers aggressive, they'll bemore likely to believe an
article titled new studyconfirms video games lead to
violent behavior.
Meanwhile, someone who believesthe opposite might immediately
(04:26):
dismiss the same study as flawedwithout even reading it.
Now, this bias is powerfulbecause it feels comfortable to
accept things that sit into whatwe already know.
For teens, who are stillshaping their worldviews, this
effect can be even stronger.
So what do we do as a parent?
Well, we can encourage ourchildren and our teens to
(04:48):
actively challenge their ownopinions, and one way is to
introduce the idea that a goodresearcher always looks at both
sides.
So try this pick a topic thatyour team feels really strongly
about, like, for example, schooluniforms or climate change or
social media bans and have themfind two articles, one that
(05:11):
supports their view and one thatcontradicts it and then ask
them if you were forced to arguethe opposite opinion in a
debate, how would you do it?
Now, this trains their brain tobe less emotionally reactive
and more analytical.
Now, the second reason whyteenagers tend to fall for
misinformation is the emotionalimpact that it has.
(05:35):
Fear and outrage spread wayfaster than facts.
Unfortunately, this is true.
Did you know that false newsspreads six times that's six,
six times faster than the truthon platforms like X, which was
formerly Twitter, and Facebook?
Now this comes directly.
This fact comes from MIT Sloanin 2023.
(05:56):
Now, the reason our brains arewired to react more strongly to
negative or shocking information, and this is because, from an
evolutionary standpoint, fearand outrage kept us alive back
in the day, back in the cavemandays, but unfortunately, it
doesn't do well for us nowadays.
So imagine you see two headlines, so I'll give you an example.
(06:17):
Imagine you see two headlineson your teenager's TikTok feed.
The first headline says newstudy finds that smartphones
have no impact on sleep patterns.
The other headline saysbreaking Scientists discover
smartphones are causing braindamage in teens.
Which one is more likely to goviral?
(06:38):
Well, the second headline playson fear and urgency, making
people more likely to share itinstantly before checking if
it's even true.
So what do we do as a parentwhen we come across this kind of
thing?
Well, we need to help ourchildren pause before reacting.
We need to teach them that thestronger the emotional response,
(06:59):
the more important.
It is to fact check, so you cantry this at home.
It is to fact check, so you cantry this at home.
Show your teenager a viral postthat uses extreme language and
what I mean by extreme isoutrageous, shocking.
You won't believe this thatkind of propaganda style
language.
And then ask them why do youthink this post was designed in
(07:20):
this way?
Then you can teach them the 90second rule.
So this is what it is If a postmakes you angry or scared, wait
90 seconds before reacting.
Often that's enough time for thelogical brain to kick in.
In fact, you can try this 90second rule in anything in life.
Before you resist the urge totake somebody back who might be
(07:44):
looking for a reaction, or ifyou're at home having a
discussion with your partner,try the 90 second rule.
It applies to all areas of thelife, but this is particularly
good to use with teenagers forlooking at when there is content
online that is trying toprovoke a certain reaction from
them.
So I'll recap again.
(08:05):
So if a post makes them angryor scared, you can ask your
teenager this wait 90 secondsfor reacting to it, because
that's enough time for thelogical brain to kick in with
things before they jump in andstart commenting or getting
carried away.
Now the third reason whyteenagers often fall for
misinformation is we need tolook at the teenage brain, and
(08:27):
this is why misinformation hitsso much harder with young people
, because here's the realchallenge Teenage brains are
wired for quick reactions.
The prefrontal cortex, which isthe part responsible for
critical thinking and forimpulse control, isn't fully
developed until around the ageof 25.
So this makes teenagers morelikely to believe misinformation
(08:51):
at face value.
It makes them more likely to bemore impulsive when sharing
content and it makes them moreemotionally driven when
processing news.
Now, this isn't a flaw I don'tthink this is a flaw as part of
normal brain development but itmeans that, as parents and as
educators, we need to guide ourteenagers towards slower, more
(09:12):
deliberate thinking.
And here is my action tip foryou.
I like to call it the headlinechallenge.
So show your teen another twocontradicting headlines, such as
caffeine is good for you andcaffeine causes early death, and
ask them which one do youbelieve and why?
Then have them research botharticles and break down, firstly
(09:36):
, who wrote the article, whatsources did they use, and is the
claim backed by science or justopinion?
Now, this simple exerciseactivates the analytical brain
rather than letting thempassively accept what they see,
and this is so important.
We really want to startencouraging these critical
thinking skills as early as wecan with our children and our
(09:59):
teenagers, because, at the endof the day, we can't stop
misinformation from existing,but we can help our teenagers
build the tools they need tothink critically, to analyze
sources and to make informeddecisions.
When they learn to challengethe information instead of just
blindly accepting it, they gaina superpower that will serve
(10:19):
them for life.
So the next time your teencomes to you with a viral TikTok
claim, instead of saying that'sfake news, try saying, instead,
let's fact check this together,because by making media
literacy a shared experience,you're actually helping them
build a skill that will changehow they see the world.
So that brings us to how socialmedia algorithms fuel
(10:42):
misinformation, because ourworld is changing and social
media plays a role in all ofthis.
We all know that tech companieslike TikTok, youtube, instagram
and Facebook make billions ofdollars every year, but how do
they actually make their money?
Well, it all comes down to onething your attention.
The longer you stay on aplatform, the more ads they can
(11:03):
show you, and to keep youscrolling, they use
sophisticated AI-poweredalgorithms that personalize your
thing to show you more of whatyou already engage with.
Now, this we know, and on thesurface, this sounds great,
because who doesn't want contenttailored to their interests,
right.
But here's the problem withthat Algorithms prioritize
engagement, not truth.
(11:23):
So this means that false ormisleading information that
triggers emotions spreads fasterthan factual content.
Instead, according to a 2023study by Pew Research,
misinformation spreads up to 70%faster than the truth 7-0, 70.
It's worrying.
(11:44):
So how do social mediaalgorithms work?
I think we need to look at thisto see what is going on here
and to understand whymisinformation spreads so easily
.
We do need to understand howalgorithms work, and here's a
simple breakdown for you.
I'll be super fast.
So, number one every time youlike, share or comment on
something, the platform takesnotes on it.
(12:05):
Then the algorithm learns yourinterests and starts showing you
more content, just like it.
And then this creates thefeedback loop.
You keep seeing similar contentover and over again,
reinforcing your beliefs.
This is why, after 10 clicks onone conspiracy video, suddenly
their entire feed is filled withmore conspiracy theories.
(12:26):
Now I know that we all roughlyknow how algorithms work on
social media, but to show youthe seriousness of this, I'll
give you an example, and theexample is the TikTok NASA hoax
in 2022.
So one of the biggestmisinformation trends on TikTok
in 2022 was a viral claim thatNASA had confirmed the Earth
would experience three days oftotal darkness.
(12:49):
Now millions, millions of teensshared it, truly believing it
was real.
Why did this headline spread sofast?
Well, the headline was shocking.
It was fear-based content whichspreads faster.
Let me know.
Teenagers started engaging withit, commenting things like oh
my, omg, this is true.
(13:10):
Tiktok's algorithm noticed thehype engagement and pushed it to
even more users, and then,before long, it became a global
trend, even though NASA hadnever made any such statement.
Now imagine the same patternhappening with political
misinformation or health mythsand manipulated videos.
If one piece of falseinformation catches fire, it can
(13:33):
spread worldwide within hours.
Now why is this a problem?
Well, teenagers are especiallyvulnerable to algorithm driven
misinformation because theyconsume most of their news
through social media.
To algorithm-drivenmisinformation because they
consume most of their newsthrough social media, and a 2023
(13:54):
study from Reuters Institutefor Journalism found that over
60, 60% of teens get their newsprimarily from TikTok, youtube
and Instagram and, unliketraditional news sources, these
platforms don't prioritizeaccuracy.
Unfortunately, they prioritizeengagement.
Don't prioritize accuracy.
Unfortunately, they prioritizeengagement.
And also our teenagers' brainsare wired for quick emotional
reactions.
We talked earlier about how theprefrontal cortex, which is the
(14:19):
part of the brain that controlsreasoning and impulse control,
isn't fully developed untilabout age 25, right?
So this means that teenagersare more likely to react
emotionally rather thancritically, and so when they see
headlines like this onplatforms like YouTube and
Instagram, they're not lookingfor accuracy, they're filtering
the news through emotion.
Our teenagers also get stuck infilter bubbles or echo chambers.
(14:42):
Unfortunately, because thealgorithm only shows them
content that they already agreewith.
They're really going to seeopposing viewpoints or
fact-based counter-arguments,and they don't want to see them
anyway, even if they werepresented online, they're not
looking for that kind of content, unfortunately.
So the result is a world whereour children believe something
(15:02):
is true simply because they'veseen it enough times, not
because it's actually based infact.
That's such an importantdistinction a world where our
children believe something istrue simply because they've seen
it enough times, not becauseit's actually based in fact.
I've said it twice now, becausethis is exactly what happens
when misinformation spreads andit gains credibility because
(15:27):
people have seen it often enough.
Now, one of the best ways tohelp our kids and help our
teenagers understand the powerof algorithms is to show them in
real time.
So here's a fun and eye-openingexperiment that you can do
together at home.
So step one is to ask your teento only like or watch cat
videos for one day on TikTok orYouTube.
(15:47):
I've got a funny story,actually, but I'll tell you in a
minute.
The next day, have them opentheir feed.
What do they see?
Nothing but cat videos, and youcan use this as a teachable
moment.
You could say something likesee how the algorithm quickly
adjusted to only showing you catcontent.
The same thing happens withnews and opinions.
If you only engage with onetype of information, you'll only
(16:10):
see that perspective, whetherit's true or not.
With one type of information,you'll only see that perspective
, whether it's true or not.
So, in a sense, the algorithmis invisible, but when we bring
it to our conscious awareness,like the cat video test that you
can do at home, it suddenlymakes the algorithm visible,
which is a very powerful lessonfor a teen.
(16:31):
So now that we understand whysocial media platforms are
designed in this way, let's talkabout what you can do as a
parent to help your kids thinkcritically about their online
experience.
We can encourage them to followa variety of sources.
So, instead of relying on onesocial media feed, we could
suggest, maybe, that they checkmultiple sources when
(16:52):
researching a topic, and a goodrule of thumb is to follow at
least one credible newsorganization.
So, for example, bbc, reuters,npr, alongside their usual
content on TikTok.
We can teach them to ask whobenefits from me believing this,
because every viral post hasthat purpose, whether sometimes
(17:14):
it's just engagement, but othertimes it's pushing an agenda,
and it can be a very subtleagenda.
So we need to ask our childrenand ask our teens why do you
think this post was made?
Who benefits if you believe itbenefits, if you believe it Now?
This simple question forcesthem to think critically.
(17:34):
We can also introduce slowthinking online, so social media
has built fast emotionalreactions.
By encouraging our children andour teenagers to pause before
sharing or believing somethingthat they see online, it means
that we can slow down theiremotional reaction, and good
(17:55):
rule of thumb with this is if itmakes you angry or afraid, you
need to verify it first beforegoing ahead and commenting on it
, because, at the end of the day, we can't change how social
media works, but we can teachour teenagers how to outsmart
the algorithm by questioningwhat they see breaking out of
echo chambers and thinking forthemselves.
(18:17):
Instead of saying don't believeeverything you see on TikTok,
maybe try saying instead let'slook deeper and figure out why
this information is being pushedto you.
Because by making medialiteracy a collaborative
experience, you're empoweringyour children to think
critically, which is one of themost valuable skills they'll
ever have.
(18:38):
All right, let's talk about oneof the most subtle yet powerful
ways that misinformation spreads.
We've talked about social media.
Let's go a little bit deeperand look at something called the
illusory truth-seeked.
Now, this psychologicalphenomenon explains why people
believe things that aren't truejust because they've heard them
so many times.
What is the illusory trutheffect?
(19:00):
Well, the illusory truth effect, if I'm saying it correctly, is
when repetition creates belief.
I touched on this brieflyearlier.
I want to go a little bitdeeper into it now and simply
put if you hear or see somethingenough times, your brain starts
accepting it as true, even ifit's completely false.
This effect works even onhighly intelligent people,
(19:25):
unfortunately, it's true, and itdoesn't matter if the person
was skeptical at first.
Repetition slowly wears themdown, and it's a key tactic in
propaganda and advertising andin social media misinformation.
So how can we let this happenIf we know the sky is blue?
How can we gradually believethe sky is green if someone
(19:48):
tells us enough times it soundsimpossible, but actually there's
a science behind it.
The brain is wired to favorfamiliarity over effort-filled
thinking.
Right, it's easier for yourbrain to say I've heard this
before, so it must be true, thanit is for your brain to say
wait, let me double check mysources and critically analyze
(20:09):
this.
So this is why misinformationspreads so effectively online
because people are online whenthey're during an ad break on TV
or they've had a hard day andthey're at home having a drink,
relaxing on the couch scrollingthrough their feed.
They're not into wanting todouble check and pick check
(20:32):
things, and I'll give you anexample of what I mean.
I don't know if you've heard ofthe vaccine autism myth, but one
of the biggest examples of theillusory truth effect happened
in the early 2000s.
Now, the false claim was thisvaccines cause autism.
Now, even though multiplescientific studies have
(20:52):
completely debunked this myth,millions of people still believe
it today.
Why?
Because they've heard it somany times, and I'll tell you
how this misinformation spread.
So in the 1990s, a now highlydiscredited study falsely
claimed a link between vaccinesand autism.
(21:12):
The study was debunked andretracted, but by then, media
and celebrities had picked up onit and the claim was repeated
so often on news reports, ontalk shows and on social media
that it felt true to many people, even without evidence.
And that's exactly how theillusory truth of Beck works the
more you hear a claim, the morefamiliar and believable it
(21:34):
becomes.
Now imagine this same patternhappening on TikTok and YouTube,
but at a lightning speed.
We're talking within seconds.
It's spread around the world,and our teenagers are especially
vulnerable to the illusorytruth effect, because our teens
spend hours on social media,where misinformation can spread
faster and scientific researchcan correct it.
(21:56):
And here's what happens A falseclaim can go viral on TikTok eg
, nasa confirmed the earth isgoing dark for three days, like
we talked about.
It gets reposted and resharedthousands of times, and even if
a teen didn't believe it atfirst, they start thinking well,
everyone's talking about it, somaybe it is true.
And then it becomes commonknowledge.
(22:16):
I say that in inverted commascommon knowledge, even though
it's completely false.
This is how conspiracy theoriesand misinformation trends
thrive.
For example, the birds aren'treal hoax.
Look at another one.
So a viral conspiracy theoryclaimed that all birds are
actually government surveillancedrones.
Now, it started as a satiricaljoke, but because it was
(22:42):
repeated so many times, somepeople actually started
believing it, and even thoughthere's zero, zero scientific
evidence, thousands of youngpeople fell for the joke turned
conspiracy because they keptseeing it everywhere.
And so the key takeaway fromall of this is that if your
(23:02):
teenager or your young personkeeps seeing a claim on TikTok,
youtube or Instagram, it canstart feeling true, even if it
has no real evidence.
So what can we do as parentsand educators?
Well, since repetition tricksthe brain, your teenager might
not even realize they're beinginfluenced, but you can help
them break free by making themaware of how this works.
(23:24):
And here are three simple waysto help your young person fight
back against the illusory trutheffect.
The first step is where did youfirst hear this?
Okay, we call this breaking thechain when did you first hear
that?
So the next time your teenagermakes a bold claim, ask them
where did you first hear this?
(23:44):
Have you seen it multiple timesand did you check if it's true?
Or does it just feel truebecause it's everywhere?
Now, these three questionsforces them to slow down and
think critically instead of justrepeating something they saw
online.
Now, these three questions areso important I'm going to say
them again.
Where did you first hear this?
(24:06):
Have you seen it multiple timesand did you check if it's true?
Or does it just feel truebecause it's everywhere?
So that's step one.
We want to break the chain.
Then step two is the repetitiondoesn't mean truth rule and you
can teach your young person thesimple media rule.
Just because you see somethingeverywhere, it doesn't mean it's
(24:28):
true.
You can use examples like falsehealth claims eg.
Drinking lemon water burnsbelly fat.
You can use examples likepolitical misinformation.
You can use examples likecelebrity rumors.
The internet is rife with falsenews.
You can pick anything.
So you can encourage your youngpeople to question things
(24:49):
instead of just accepting them.
And we're not talking aboutwho's right or wrong here.
All we're doing is teaching ouryoung people some questioning
habits, to start developingtheir critical thinking brain
Question things rather than justaccept them.
And then step three is thesource tracking challenge, and
this is making sure that ouryoung people are learning how to
(25:10):
fact check like a pro.
So, instead of stopping at aviral TikTok video, you could
help your teenager trace theinformation back to the original
source, and here's how you cando it.
So find a viral claim andsearch for where it originally
came from.
Then you can ask your teenageror your young person to dig
deeper.
Is it from a credible source oris it just being repeated by
(25:34):
influencers, because they have ahuge part to play in all this
too.
What products or beliefs thatinfluencers push can resonate
very, very deeply with youngpeople.
So we want to make sure thatour teenagers know where these
viral claims are coming from,and then we want to compare it
to reputable sources like BBC orReuters or the CDC.
(25:58):
Now, when young people realisehow many viral claims are just
copied without verification, itreally empowers them to think
critically before believingsomething.
The illusory truth effect ispowerful, but so is media
literacy, which is what we canteach our young people.
So instead of just telling yourteenager that's fake news, try
(26:18):
saying let's figure out if thisis true together.
When young people learn howmisinformation spreads, they
become less likely to fall forit, and that's a superpower that
they'll use for life.
Now I know what you're thinking.
How do I get my teen toactually care about any of this?
Let's be honest sitting downand lecturing your teen about
media literacy isn't going towork.
(26:39):
I know, I get it, I get that.
But gamifying the process, onthe other hand, well, that's a
different story.
So let's turn fact-checkinginto a challenge, a fun,
interactive way for yourteenager to become a
misinformation detective withouteven realizing they're learning
.
I've got some fun ways you cando this.
So here's how it works.
(27:00):
Find three viral claims onlineeg sharks can live for 400 years
, or NASA discovered a newplanet that could support human
life.
Then have your teen prove ordebunk them using the strategies
we've covered, and then you canoffer a small reward.
The best fact checker likeletting them choose what's for
dinner, picking a family movie.
(27:21):
This simple challenge taps intotheir curiosity and turns
critical thinking into a bit ofa game instead of a chore.
Now, one of my favorite and mostpowerful fact-checking tools
that most people don't even knowabout is the Google reverse
image search.
What is it, you ask me?
Well, instead of searching withwords, google reverse image
(27:45):
search lets you upload an imageto find out where it originally
came from.
How cool is that?
Now why it matters.
Fake images are everywhere,whether it's a deep fake
celebrity scandal, aphotoshopped news photo or an
out of context image used topush a false narrative.
Your team needs to know how toverify what they're looking at.
(28:07):
For example, in 2020, a viralimage claimed to show a shark
swimming down a flooded highwayafter a hurricane, and it was
shared millions of times asproof of the extreme storm
damage.
But the image had actually beencirculating since 2012, 2011
and it was completely fake.
It was photoshopped using astock image of a shark in a
(28:30):
highway from a totally differentevent.
Now, how could your teen havespotted this?
By doing a Google reverse imagesearch.
So how do we do it?
Okay, so I'll tell you.
So step one is to find asuspicious or shocking looking
image, so, for example, acelebrity scandal photo, or an
unbelievable weather event or aviral conspiracy meme.
(28:51):
And then step two is to rightclick on the image and select
search image with Google, or youcould go to imagesgooglecom and
upload it there.
And then step three is to seewhere else the image has
appeared online.
And then step four is to askyour young person was the image
taken out of context?
(29:12):
Was it edited?
Is it from a credible source?
So simple, but so effective.
Now, if you want to make thiseven more fun, then you can try
the fake photo detective gamewith your young person.
So what you could do is findthree viral images or memes so
two are real and one is fake.
Then challenge your youngperson to investigate which one
(29:34):
is false using the Googlereverse image search, and then
you can reward them if theyprove which image was
manipulated and this sort ofhands-on activity really turns
media literacy into a bit of adetective mission and makes it
way more engaging than just asimple lecture, because teens
love a challenge and when youmake fact checking fun, then
(29:56):
they'll start using these toolswithout even realizing they're
building critical thinkingskills.
By the end of this challenge, Iguarantee your teen will
question information beforebelieving it, they'll learn to
develop real world medialiteracy skills and they'll be
more skeptical of viral trendsand fake news and, most
importantly, they'll know how tonavigate the internet with
confidence.
(30:16):
So the next time they come toyou with a crazy viral claim,
instead of just saying that'sfake news, you could say let's
fact check it together, becauseteaching them how to think
critically is way more powerfulthan just telling them what to
believe.
All right, let's wrap this up.
Today we tackled one of thebiggest challenges of raising a
young person in the digital age.
(30:37):
It's helping them separate factfrom fiction in a world
overloaded with information.
Oh, my goodness, it isoverloaded, and so here's a
quick recap of what we covered,because we went through.
We got through a lot today.
We looked at why even smartpeople fall for misinformation.
We learned about cognitive biaslike confirmation bias and the
(30:57):
illiterate truth effect thatmake us more likely to believe
false information, even when wethink we're being critical.
We looked at how social mediafuels fake news.
We broke down how algorithmsprioritize engagement over
accuracy, creating echo chambersthat reinforce what we already
believe, unfortunately.
We looked at practical,science-backed strategies to
(31:19):
teach media literacy, and weexplored some simple yet
powerful tools that you can useto help your team think
critically about the contentthat they consume online.
And finally, we finished with afun challenge to make
fact-checking a habit.
We turned media literacy into agame by challenging your teen
to debunk viral claims, to spotfake photos and prove what's
(31:42):
real using fact-checking tools.
Now why does all this matter?
Well, the internet isn't goinganywhere, whether you like it or
not, and misinformation isn'tslowing down either.
But here's the thing Ourteenagers don't have to be
passive consumers of falseinformation, and, as parents, we
can help them.
We can really equip them.
(32:02):
We can give them the tools toquestion, analyze and fact check
.
We're empowering them to thinkfor themselves, and that's not
just about avoiding fake news.
It's about becoming a criticalthinker in all areas of life.
It's easy to feel overwhelmed bythe speed and the volume of
misinformation online.
But instead of fighting againsttechnology, we can really teach
(32:24):
our teenagers and our youngpeople how to use it wisely.
The goal isn't to make themdistrust everything.
It's to equip them with theskills to navigate the digital
world with confidence.
So the next time that your teenshe's a wild claim from TikTok,
instead of dismissing it, trysaying that's interesting.
(32:45):
Let's fact check it together,because when we teach them how
to think, not just what to think, we're setting them up for a
lifetime of smart decisionmaking.
So thank you so much forlistening to this episode of
Challenge your Mind, change theWorld.
If you enjoyed this episode, dome a favor.
I would be so grateful tosubscribe, leave a review and
(33:06):
share this with another parentwho could use these tips.
Your support helps us reachmore families and empower more
young people.
Until next time, keepquestioning, keep learning and,
most importantly, keepempowering your teen to think
for themselves.
Bye for now.
Hello, welcome.
You have arrived at.
Challenge your Mind, change theWorld.
This is the podcast where wedive into the latest science,
psychology and real-worldstrategies to help you, as
wonderful parents out there,raise confident,
critical-thinking teens intoday's world.
I'm your host, francesca Hudson, and today's episode is one I
(00:20):
think every parent needs rightnow.
It's this Today we're talkingabout fact versus opinion,
helping your teen to navigatemisinformation online.
Super important, super relevant,because, let's be real, your
teen or your tween spends hoursonline.
(00:41):
Tiktok, youtube, instagram,discord and Reddit have become
their primary sources of news,and while social media is great
for connection, it's also abreeding ground, unfortunately,
for misinformation.
In fact, studies show thatfalse news spreads six times yep
, six times faster than thetruth.
(01:04):
So how do we, as parents and aseducators and as mentors, help
our teens become media savvy,fact-checking superheroes,
rather than just passiveconsumers of misleading content?
And that's exactly what we'retackling today, because I know,
as a parent myself, my childrenspend a lot of time online and
(01:28):
we got into really bad habitsway back when we were in
lockdown during COVID and eversince then we haven't really
been able to wean ourselves offdevices and off technology.
So how do we manage this asparents.
So today I'm going to belooking at the psychology behind
(01:49):
why people fall formisinformation, and that
includes even smart teenagers.
We're going to be looking athow AI and algorithms fuel the
spread of fake news, and I'msticking very much to the center
here.
I'm not going off into any kindof opinion or political tangent
, don't worry.
I am just looking at how thescience spreads fake news AI,
(02:14):
algorithms, staying with science.
We're also going to look atsome practical, science-backed
strategies to help your teendevelop critical thinking skills
for themselves strategies tohelp your teen develop critical
thinking skills for themselves.
And then, finally, I want topresent a fact-checking
challenge that makes learningfun for your family.
So stick around, because by theend of this episode, you'll
have some actionable ways toturn your teenager into a truth
(02:38):
detective rather than a victimof online misinformation.
So let's get started.
I thought I'd start with aburning question why do smart
people, even adults, fall forfake news?
Now, a 2023 study from MIT'sMedia Lab found that
misinformation isn't just aboutintelligence.
(03:00):
It's also about cognitivelaziness, and this means that
even well-educated people,including scientists and
scholars, can fall for falseinformation if they aren't
actively engaging their criticalthinking skills.
This is why critical thinkingis so important, such an
important skill to startdeveloping in our teens.
(03:20):
So, in a world where content isendless, most of us don't
deeply analyze every postheadline video we encounter.
Instead, we tend to skim or wetend to react emotionally and
just move on.
And when we're in that passivemode of consuming information,
our brains rely on shortcuts,which is where misinformation
(03:43):
sneaks in.
Here are the three biggestreasons people, especially
teenagers, fall misinformation.
The first reason is called theconfirmation bias.
We believe what aligns with ourexisting opinions.
Have you ever noticed that whenwe see an article that aligns
with what we already believe,we're more likely to trust it?
(04:05):
Well, that's confirmation biasat work.
For example, if someone alreadythinks video games make
teenagers aggressive, they'll bemore likely to believe an
article titled new studyconfirms video games lead to
violent behavior.
Meanwhile, someone who believesthe opposite might immediately
(04:26):
dismiss the same study as flawedwithout even reading it.
Now, this bias is powerfulbecause it feels comfortable to
accept things that sit into whatwe already know.
For teens, who are stillshaping their worldviews, this
effect can be even stronger.
So what do we do as a parent?
Well, we can encourage ourchildren and our teens to
(04:48):
actively challenge their ownopinions, and one way is to
introduce the idea that a goodresearcher always looks at both
sides.
So try this pick a topic thatyour team feels really strongly
about, like, for example, schooluniforms or climate change or
social media bans and have themfind two articles, one that
(05:11):
supports their view and one thatcontradicts it and then ask
them if you were forced to arguethe opposite opinion in a
debate, how would you do it?
Now, this trains their brain tobe less emotionally reactive
and more analytical.
Now, the second reason whyteenagers tend to fall for
misinformation is the emotionalimpact that it has.
(05:35):
Fear and outrage spread wayfaster than facts.
Unfortunately, this is true.
Did you know that false newsspreads six times that's six,
six times faster than the truthon platforms like X, which was
formerly Twitter, and Facebook?
Now this comes directly.
This fact comes from MIT Sloanin 2023.
(05:56):
Now, the reason our brains arewired to react more strongly to
negative or shocking information, and this is because, from an
evolutionary standpoint, fearand outrage kept us alive back
in the day, back in the cavemandays, but unfortunately, it
doesn't do well for us nowadays.
So imagine you see two headlines, so I'll give you an example.
(06:17):
Imagine you see two headlineson your teenager's TikTok feed.
The first headline says newstudy finds that smartphones
have no impact on sleep patterns.
The other headline saysbreaking Scientists discover
smartphones are causing braindamage in teens.
Which one is more likely to goviral?
(06:38):
Well, the second headline playson fear and urgency, making
people more likely to share itinstantly before checking if
it's even true.
So what do we do as a parentwhen we come across this kind of
thing?
Well, we need to help ourchildren pause before reacting.
We need to teach them that thestronger the emotional response,
(06:59):
the more important.
It is to fact check, so you cantry this at home.
It is to fact check, so you cantry this at home.
Show your teenager a viral postthat uses extreme language and
what I mean by extreme isoutrageous, shocking.
You won't believe this thatkind of propaganda style
language.
And then ask them why do youthink this post was designed in
(07:20):
this way?
Then you can teach them the 90second rule.
So this is what it is If a postmakes you angry or scared, wait
90 seconds before reacting.
Often that's enough time for thelogical brain to kick in.
In fact, you can try this 90second rule in anything in life.
Before you resist the urge totake somebody back who might be
(07:44):
looking for a reaction, or ifyou're at home having a
discussion with your partner,try the 90 second rule.
It applies to all areas of thelife, but this is particularly
good to use with teenagers forlooking at when there is content
online that is trying toprovoke a certain reaction from
them.
So I'll recap again.
(08:05):
So if a post makes them angryor scared, you can ask your
teenager this wait 90 secondsfor reacting to it, because
that's enough time for thelogical brain to kick in with
things before they jump in andstart commenting or getting
carried away.
Now the third reason whyteenagers often fall for
misinformation is we need tolook at the teenage brain, and
(08:27):
this is why misinformation hitsso much harder with young people
, because here's the realchallenge Teenage brains are
wired for quick reactions.
The prefrontal cortex, which isthe part responsible for
critical thinking and forimpulse control, isn't fully
developed until around the ageof 25.
So this makes teenagers morelikely to believe misinformation
(08:51):
at face value.
It makes them more likely to bemore impulsive when sharing
content and it makes them moreemotionally driven when
processing news.
Now, this isn't a flaw I don'tthink this is a flaw as part of
normal brain development but itmeans that, as parents and as
educators, we need to guide ourteenagers towards slower, more
(09:12):
deliberate thinking.
And here is my action tip foryou.
I like to call it the headlinechallenge.
So show your teen another twocontradicting headlines, such as
caffeine is good for you andcaffeine causes early death, and
ask them which one do youbelieve and why?
Then have them research botharticles and break down, firstly
(09:36):
, who wrote the article, whatsources did they use, and is the
claim backed by science or justopinion?
Now, this simple exerciseactivates the analytical brain
rather than letting thempassively accept what they see,
and this is so important.
We really want to startencouraging these critical
thinking skills as early as wecan with our children and our
(09:59):
teenagers, because, at the endof the day, we can't stop
misinformation from existing,but we can help our teenagers
build the tools they need tothink critically, to analyze
sources and to make informeddecisions.
When they learn to challengethe information instead of just
blindly accepting it, they gaina superpower that will serve
(10:19):
them for life.
So the next time your teencomes to you with a viral TikTok
claim, instead of saying that'sfake news, try saying, instead,
let's fact check this together,because by making media
literacy a shared experience,you're actually helping them
build a skill that will changehow they see the world.
So that brings us to how socialmedia algorithms fuel
(10:42):
misinformation, because ourworld is changing and social
media plays a role in all ofthis.
We all know that tech companieslike TikTok, youtube, instagram
and Facebook make billions ofdollars every year, but how do
they actually make their money?
Well, it all comes down to onething your attention.
The longer you stay on aplatform, the more ads they can
(11:03):
show you, and to keep youscrolling, they use
sophisticated AI-poweredalgorithms that personalize your
thing to show you more of whatyou already engage with.
Now, this we know, and on thesurface, this sounds great,
because who doesn't want contenttailored to their interests,
right.
But here's the problem withthat Algorithms prioritize
engagement, not truth.
(11:23):
So this means that false ormisleading information that
triggers emotions spreads fasterthan factual content.
Instead, according to a 2023study by Pew Research,
misinformation spreads up to 70%faster than the truth 7-0, 70.
It's worrying.
(11:44):
So how do social mediaalgorithms work?
I think we need to look at thisto see what is going on here
and to understand whymisinformation spreads so easily
.
We do need to understand howalgorithms work, and here's a
simple breakdown for you.
I'll be super fast.
So, number one every time youlike, share or comment on
something, the platform takesnotes on it.
(12:05):
Then the algorithm learns yourinterests and starts showing you
more content, just like it.
And then this creates thefeedback loop.
You keep seeing similar contentover and over again,
reinforcing your beliefs.
This is why, after 10 clicks onone conspiracy video, suddenly
their entire feed is filled withmore conspiracy theories.
(12:26):
Now I know that we all roughlyknow how algorithms work on
social media, but to show youthe seriousness of this, I'll
give you an example, and theexample is the TikTok NASA hoax
in 2022.
So one of the biggestmisinformation trends on TikTok
in 2022 was a viral claim thatNASA had confirmed the Earth
would experience three days oftotal darkness.
(12:49):
Now millions, millions of teensshared it, truly believing it
was real.
Why did this headline spread sofast?
Well, the headline was shocking.
It was fear-based content whichspreads faster.
Let me know.
Teenagers started engaging withit, commenting things like oh
my, omg, this is true.
(13:10):
Tiktok's algorithm noticed thehype engagement and pushed it to
even more users, and then,before long, it became a global
trend, even though NASA hadnever made any such statement.
Now imagine the same patternhappening with political
misinformation or health mythsand manipulated videos.
If one piece of falseinformation catches fire, it can
(13:33):
spread worldwide within hours.
Now why is this a problem?
Well, teenagers are especiallyvulnerable to algorithm driven
misinformation because theyconsume most of their news
through social media.
To algorithm-drivenmisinformation because they
consume most of their newsthrough social media, and a 2023
(13:54):
study from Reuters Institutefor Journalism found that over
60, 60% of teens get their newsprimarily from TikTok, youtube
and Instagram and, unliketraditional news sources, these
platforms don't prioritizeaccuracy.
Unfortunately, they prioritizeengagement.
Don't prioritize accuracy.
Unfortunately, they prioritizeengagement.
And also our teenagers' brainsare wired for quick emotional
reactions.
We talked earlier about how theprefrontal cortex, which is the
(14:19):
part of the brain that controlsreasoning and impulse control,
isn't fully developed untilabout age 25, right?
So this means that teenagersare more likely to react
emotionally rather thancritically, and so when they see
headlines like this onplatforms like YouTube and
Instagram, they're not lookingfor accuracy, they're filtering
the news through emotion.
Our teenagers also get stuck infilter bubbles or echo chambers.
(14:42):
Unfortunately, because thealgorithm only shows them
content that they already agreewith.
They're really going to seeopposing viewpoints or
fact-based counter-arguments,and they don't want to see them
anyway, even if they werepresented online, they're not
looking for that kind of content, unfortunately.
So the result is a world whereour children believe something
(15:02):
is true simply because they'veseen it enough times, not
because it's actually based infact.
That's such an importantdistinction a world where our
children believe something istrue simply because they've seen
it enough times, not becauseit's actually based in fact.
I've said it twice now, becausethis is exactly what happens
when misinformation spreads andit gains credibility because
(15:27):
people have seen it often enough.
Now, one of the best ways tohelp our kids and help our
teenagers understand the powerof algorithms is to show them in
real time.
So here's a fun and eye-openingexperiment that you can do
together at home.
So step one is to ask your teento only like or watch cat
videos for one day on TikTok orYouTube.
(15:47):
I've got a funny story,actually, but I'll tell you in a
minute.
The next day, have them opentheir feed.
What do they see?
Nothing but cat videos, and youcan use this as a teachable
moment.
You could say something likesee how the algorithm quickly
adjusted to only showing you catcontent.
The same thing happens withnews and opinions.
If you only engage with onetype of information, you'll only
(16:10):
see that perspective, whetherit's true or not.
With one type of information,you'll only see that perspective
, whether it's true or not.
So, in a sense, the algorithmis invisible, but when we bring
it to our conscious awareness,like the cat video test that you
can do at home, it suddenlymakes the algorithm visible,
which is a very powerful lessonfor a teen.
(16:31):
So now that we understand whysocial media platforms are
designed in this way, let's talkabout what you can do as a
parent to help your kids thinkcritically about their online
experience.
We can encourage them to followa variety of sources.
So, instead of relying on onesocial media feed, we could
suggest, maybe, that they checkmultiple sources when
(16:52):
researching a topic, and a goodrule of thumb is to follow at
least one credible newsorganization.
So, for example, bbc, reuters,npr, alongside their usual
content on TikTok.
We can teach them to ask whobenefits from me believing this,
because every viral post hasthat purpose, whether sometimes
(17:14):
it's just engagement, but othertimes it's pushing an agenda,
and it can be a very subtleagenda.
So we need to ask our childrenand ask our teens why do you
think this post was made?
Who benefits if you believe itbenefits, if you believe it Now?
This simple question forcesthem to think critically.
(17:34):
We can also introduce slowthinking online, so social media
has built fast emotionalreactions.
By encouraging our children andour teenagers to pause before
sharing or believing somethingthat they see online, it means
that we can slow down theiremotional reaction, and good
(17:55):
rule of thumb with this is if itmakes you angry or afraid, you
need to verify it first beforegoing ahead and commenting on it
, because, at the end of the day, we can't change how social
media works, but we can teachour teenagers how to outsmart
the algorithm by questioningwhat they see breaking out of
echo chambers and thinking forthemselves.
(18:17):
Instead of saying don't believeeverything you see on TikTok,
maybe try saying instead let'slook deeper and figure out why
this information is being pushedto you.
Because by making medialiteracy a collaborative
experience, you're empoweringyour children to think
critically, which is one of themost valuable skills they'll
ever have.
(18:38):
All right, let's talk about oneof the most subtle yet powerful
ways that misinformation spreads.
We've talked about social media.
Let's go a little bit deeperand look at something called the
illusory truth-seeked.
Now, this psychologicalphenomenon explains why people
believe things that aren't truejust because they've heard them
so many times.
What is the illusory trutheffect?
(19:00):
Well, the illusory truth effect, if I'm saying it correctly, is
when repetition creates belief.
I touched on this brieflyearlier.
I want to go a little bitdeeper into it now and simply
put if you hear or see somethingenough times, your brain starts
accepting it as true, even ifit's completely false.
This effect works even onhighly intelligent people,
(19:25):
unfortunately, it's true, and itdoesn't matter if the person
was skeptical at first.
Repetition slowly wears themdown, and it's a key tactic in
propaganda and advertising andin social media misinformation.
So how can we let this happenIf we know the sky is blue?
How can we gradually believethe sky is green if someone
(19:48):
tells us enough times it soundsimpossible, but actually there's
a science behind it.
The brain is wired to favorfamiliarity over effort-filled
thinking.
Right, it's easier for yourbrain to say I've heard this
before, so it must be true, thanit is for your brain to say
wait, let me double check mysources and critically analyze
(20:09):
this.
So this is why misinformationspreads so effectively online
because people are online whenthey're during an ad break on TV
or they've had a hard day andthey're at home having a drink,
relaxing on the couch scrollingthrough their feed.
They're not into wanting todouble check and pick check
(20:32):
things, and I'll give you anexample of what I mean.
I don't know if you've heard ofthe vaccine autism myth, but one
of the biggest examples of theillusory truth effect happened
in the early 2000s.
Now, the false claim was thisvaccines cause autism.
Now, even though multiplescientific studies have
(20:52):
completely debunked this myth,millions of people still believe
it today.
Why?
Because they've heard it somany times, and I'll tell you
how this misinformation spread.
So in the 1990s, a now highlydiscredited study falsely
claimed a link between vaccinesand autism.
(21:12):
The study was debunked andretracted, but by then, media
and celebrities had picked up onit and the claim was repeated
so often on news reports, ontalk shows and on social media
that it felt true to many people, even without evidence.
And that's exactly how theillusory truth of Beck works the
more you hear a claim, the morefamiliar and believable it
(21:34):
becomes.
Now imagine this same patternhappening on TikTok and YouTube,
but at a lightning speed.
We're talking within seconds.
It's spread around the world,and our teenagers are especially
vulnerable to the illusorytruth effect, because our teens
spend hours on social media,where misinformation can spread
faster and scientific researchcan correct it.
(21:56):
And here's what happens A falseclaim can go viral on TikTok eg
, nasa confirmed the earth isgoing dark for three days, like
we talked about.
It gets reposted and resharedthousands of times, and even if
a teen didn't believe it atfirst, they start thinking well,
everyone's talking about it, somaybe it is true.
And then it becomes commonknowledge.
(22:16):
I say that in inverted commascommon knowledge, even though
it's completely false.
This is how conspiracy theoriesand misinformation trends
thrive.
For example, the birds aren'treal hoax.
Look at another one.
So a viral conspiracy theoryclaimed that all birds are
actually government surveillancedrones.
Now, it started as a satiricaljoke, but because it was
(22:42):
repeated so many times, somepeople actually started
believing it, and even thoughthere's zero, zero scientific
evidence, thousands of youngpeople fell for the joke turned
conspiracy because they keptseeing it everywhere.
And so the key takeaway fromall of this is that if your
(23:02):
teenager or your young personkeeps seeing a claim on TikTok,
youtube or Instagram, it canstart feeling true, even if it
has no real evidence.
So what can we do as parentsand educators?
Well, since repetition tricksthe brain, your teenager might
not even realize they're beinginfluenced, but you can help
them break free by making themaware of how this works.
(23:24):
And here are three simple waysto help your young person fight
back against the illusory trutheffect.
The first step is where did youfirst hear this?
Okay, we call this breaking thechain when did you first hear
that?
So the next time your teenagermakes a bold claim, ask them
where did you first hear this?
(23:44):
Have you seen it multiple timesand did you check if it's true?
Or does it just feel truebecause it's everywhere?
Now, these three questionsforces them to slow down and
think critically instead of justrepeating something they saw
online.
Now, these three questions areso important I'm going to say
them again.
Where did you first hear this?
(24:06):
Have you seen it multiple timesand did you check if it's true?
Or does it just feel truebecause it's everywhere?
So that's step one.
We want to break the chain.
Then step two is the repetitiondoesn't mean truth rule and you
can teach your young person thesimple media rule.
Just because you see somethingeverywhere, it doesn't mean it's
(24:28):
true.
You can use examples like falsehealth claims eg.
Drinking lemon water burnsbelly fat.
You can use examples likepolitical misinformation.
You can use examples likecelebrity rumors.
The internet is rife with falsenews.
You can pick anything.
So you can encourage your youngpeople to question things
(24:49):
instead of just accepting them.
And we're not talking aboutwho's right or wrong here.
All we're doing is teaching ouryoung people some questioning
habits, to start developingtheir critical thinking brain
Question things rather than justaccept them.
And then step three is thesource tracking challenge, and
this is making sure that ouryoung people are learning how to
(25:10):
fact check like a pro.
So, instead of stopping at aviral TikTok video, you could
help your teenager trace theinformation back to the original
source, and here's how you cando it.
So find a viral claim andsearch for where it originally
came from.
Then you can ask your teenageror your young person to dig
deeper.
Is it from a credible source oris it just being repeated by
(25:34):
influencers, because they have ahuge part to play in all this
too.
What products or beliefs thatinfluencers push can resonate
very, very deeply with youngpeople.
So we want to make sure thatour teenagers know where these
viral claims are coming from,and then we want to compare it
to reputable sources like BBC orReuters or the CDC.
(25:58):
Now, when young people realisehow many viral claims are just
copied without verification, itreally empowers them to think
critically before believingsomething.
The illusory truth effect ispowerful, but so is media
literacy, which is what we canteach our young people.
So instead of just telling yourteenager that's fake news, try
(26:18):
saying let's figure out if thisis true together.
When young people learn howmisinformation spreads, they
become less likely to fall forit, and that's a superpower that
they'll use for life.
Now I know what you're thinking.
How do I get my teen toactually care about any of this?
Let's be honest sitting downand lecturing your teen about
media literacy isn't going towork.
(26:39):
I know, I get it, I get that.
But gamifying the process, onthe other hand, well, that's a
different story.
So let's turn fact-checkinginto a challenge, a fun,
interactive way for yourteenager to become a
misinformation detective withouteven realizing they're learning
.
I've got some fun ways you cando this.
So here's how it works.
(27:00):
Find three viral claims onlineeg sharks can live for 400 years
, or NASA discovered a newplanet that could support human
life.
Then have your teen prove ordebunk them using the strategies
we've covered, and then you canoffer a small reward.
The best fact checker likeletting them choose what's for
dinner, picking a family movie.
(27:21):
This simple challenge taps intotheir curiosity and turns
critical thinking into a bit ofa game instead of a chore.
Now, one of my favorite and mostpowerful fact-checking tools
that most people don't even knowabout is the Google reverse
image search.
What is it, you ask me?
Well, instead of searching withwords, google reverse image
(27:45):
search lets you upload an imageto find out where it originally
came from.
How cool is that?
Now why it matters.
Fake images are everywhere,whether it's a deep fake
celebrity scandal, aphotoshopped news photo or an
out of context image used topush a false narrative.
Your team needs to know how toverify what they're looking at.
(28:07):
For example, in 2020, a viralimage claimed to show a shark
swimming down a flooded highwayafter a hurricane, and it was
shared millions of times asproof of the extreme storm
damage.
But the image had actually beencirculating since 2012, 2011
and it was completely fake.
It was photoshopped using astock image of a shark in a
(28:30):
highway from a totally differentevent.
Now, how could your teen havespotted this?
By doing a Google reverse imagesearch.
So how do we do it?
Okay, so I'll tell you.
So step one is to find asuspicious or shocking looking
image, so, for example, acelebrity scandal photo, or an
unbelievable weather event or aviral conspiracy meme.
(28:51):
And then step two is to rightclick on the image and select
search image with Google, or youcould go to imagesgooglecom and
upload it there.
And then step three is to seewhere else the image has
appeared online.
And then step four is to askyour young person was the image
taken out of context?
(29:12):
Was it edited?
Is it from a credible source?
So simple, but so effective.
Now, if you want to make thiseven more fun, then you can try
the fake photo detective gamewith your young person.
So what you could do is findthree viral images or memes so
two are real and one is fake.
Then challenge your youngperson to investigate which one
(29:34):
is false using the Googlereverse image search, and then
you can reward them if theyprove which image was
manipulated and this sort ofhands-on activity really turns
media literacy into a bit of adetective mission and makes it
way more engaging than just asimple lecture, because teens
love a challenge and when youmake fact checking fun, then
(29:56):
they'll start using these toolswithout even realizing they're
building critical thinkingskills.
By the end of this challenge, Iguarantee your teen will
question information beforebelieving it, they'll learn to
develop real world medialiteracy skills and they'll be
more skeptical of viral trendsand fake news and, most
importantly, they'll know how tonavigate the internet with
confidence.
(30:16):
So the next time they come toyou with a crazy viral claim,
instead of just saying that'sfake news, you could say let's
fact check it together, becauseteaching them how to think
critically is way more powerfulthan just telling them what to
believe.
All right, let's wrap this up.
Today we tackled one of thebiggest challenges of raising a
young person in the digital age.
(30:37):
It's helping them separate factfrom fiction in a world
overloaded with information.
Oh, my goodness, it isoverloaded, and so here's a
quick recap of what we covered,because we went through.
We got through a lot today.
We looked at why even smartpeople fall for misinformation.
We learned about cognitive biaslike confirmation bias and the
(30:57):
illiterate truth effect thatmake us more likely to believe
false information, even when wethink we're being critical.
We looked at how social mediafuels fake news.
We broke down how algorithmsprioritize engagement over
accuracy, creating echo chambersthat reinforce what we already
believe, unfortunately.
We looked at practical,science-backed strategies to
(31:19):
teach media literacy, and weexplored some simple yet
powerful tools that you can useto help your team think
critically about the contentthat they consume online.
And finally, we finished with afun challenge to make
fact-checking a habit.
We turned media literacy into agame by challenging your teen
to debunk viral claims, to spotfake photos and prove what's
(31:42):
real using fact-checking tools.
Now why does all this matter?
Well, the internet isn't goinganywhere, whether you like it or
not, and misinformation isn'tslowing down either.
But here's the thing Ourteenagers don't have to be
passive consumers of falseinformation, and, as parents, we
can help them.
We can really equip them.
(32:02):
We can give them the tools toquestion, analyze and fact check
.
We're empowering them to thinkfor themselves, and that's not
just about avoiding fake news.
It's about becoming a criticalthinker in all areas of life.
It's easy to feel overwhelmed bythe speed and the volume of
misinformation online.
But instead of fighting againsttechnology, we can really teach
(32:24):
our teenagers and our youngpeople how to use it wisely.
The goal isn't to make themdistrust everything.
It's to equip them with theskills to navigate the digital
world with confidence.
So the next time that your teenshe's a wild claim from TikTok,
instead of dismissing it, trysaying that's interesting.
(32:45):
Let's fact check it together,because when we teach them how
to think, not just what to think, we're setting them up for a
lifetime of smart decisionmaking.
So thank you so much forlistening to this episode of
Challenge your Mind, change theWorld.
If you enjoyed this episode, dome a favor.
I would be so grateful tosubscribe, leave a review and
(33:06):
share this with another parentwho could use these tips.
Your support helps us reachmore families and empower more
young people.
Until next time, keepquestioning, keep learning and,
most importantly, keepempowering your teen to think
for themselves.
Bye for now.
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