47% of children aged 5-11 have their own social media profile despite most platforms requiring a minimum age of 13. With so much false information spread through social media, it’s important to teach children how to think critically about what they see only.
False information is often called ‘fake news’, but it’s more than that. The two main types of false information are misinformation and disinformation. Misinformation is false information that people share because they think is true while disinformation is false information that is known to be false and purposely shared. In many cases, disinformation can become misinformation.
If someone purposely shares false information, they usually have a motive for it. This could be to make sales, influence beliefs or get views/page engagement. When others believe the information, they are likely to share and spread it to others who may also believe it. If users don’t fact-check what they see, they may continue to spread it unknowingly.
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