Can Your Child Tell The Difference Between Real And Fake News? Let Them Take This Fake News Quiz To Find Out
Are our kids really as information savvy as we think they are?
Fake news is everywhere— and research shows that kids can’t tell the difference between real and fake news. And that’s pretty scary stuff. The worst part? They can’t tell when they’re being sold something either. So what’s a worried parent to do? Let the kids take a fake news quiz, for starters!
Fake news is everywhere!
Tanya Wilson, the founder of social enterprise EYEYAH, has this to say: “With an increase in clickbait headlines and the speed at which we recieve and consume information daily, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to spot the real news from the fake.” Which is why she’s come up with this super useful fake news quiz, challenging kids to determine whether news headlines are true or false, within a fixed timeframe.
How to teach kids about differentiating fake news and real news
The first step? Let them take this fake news quiz and see how well kids fare. If they’ve scored low, then perhaps it’s time you show them The Social Dilemma and teach them the proper way to consume news. Here are some tips to get you started:
- Show them examples of what a reliable news source is like — news sites that employ experienced journalists and have verified information. In contrast, fake news sites use anonymous sources or authored by someone who only uses their first name.
- Tell them the difference between a fact and opinion.
- Encourage them to ask questions and fact check.
- Talk about the news to your kids.
The thing is, we’re so used to our kids to being so tech savvy. But we need to remember that they’re still impressionable kids with a lot to learn. Plus, they’ve got a gajillion devices to get information from, which is why being more discerning about their news consumption is more important than ever. Let’s all play our part, folks! We’ve got this!
