HASTI PUBLIC SCHOOL & JR.COLLEGE,DONDAICHA
BLOG NO*150
Fake news is another hazard of technology advancement and networking because it always existed but now as people are active on social media websites, students see various viral posts that include news, content and pictures which affect their mindset towards certain things/people/scenarios to a great extent. The Fake news has a wide reach through the INTERNET and most people fall for such news because these are conveyed in such a way that it seems actual. Students are the most vulnerable to such fake news viral posts because they are young minds and have little knowledge of the factual data and hence, they easily get influenced by the fake news sources.
Before the advent of the internet, we knew where to find information: television, newspapers and libraries. But now, with a limitless world of information at our fingertips, the challenge is how to tell which information is trustworthy – and which isn’t.
Misinformation is a growing online problem. Entire websites have sprung up in recent years to disseminate fake news. Educated adults can be fooled easily – and kids are even more at risk. Only 2% of children said they felt confident in distinguishing fake news from real news. And this inability is a source of anxiety and fear. Half of children said they worried about not being able to spot fake news, and two thirds said they trust all news less as a result. Teachers have identified this as a real issue for student wellbeing too*, with two thirds of those surveyed agreeing that it increases their students’ anxiety levels.
The good news is that teaching this kind of media literacy actually builds 21st century skills like digital literacy, communication and critical thinking. In addition, developing these skills will help your students become informed global citizens.
Here we are discussing the sources of fake news, types of fake news and what steps students should take to save themselves and others from this trending hazard –
Sources of fake news –
• *Social media websites like Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp etc.
• Fake news websites
• Fake news websites using names of real media channels or websites with slight difference in the name or website URL. for example – real news website: timesofindia.indiatimes.com and fake news website: timesindia.com
• Rumours spread around in social circles
Types of fake news –
1. For entertainment purpose– Use of pictures and content that is used to entertain the readers and it has nothing factual but the audience does not understand it is based on facts or not.
For example – Memes/Trolls regarding the life of engineering students; it is used for fun but some people develop this understanding that engineering course students ‘actually’ go through such situations.
2. Use of fake image or title for Irrelevant content – It relates two things which have no logical similarity, where photos’ title or news/article headline promotes a story but the content does not match with the headline or picture.
For example – ‘Amitabh Bachchan is in Hospital’ with an image showing him ill/wounded but then the content mentions that he is shooting a scene for his upcoming movie.
Such headlines/title/pictures make the reader click on the link and increase the user count for these websites which help them (websites) make revenue.
3. Misinterpreted information – Content that presents real information, even imagery and video, but is manipulated in some way to tell a different story by misuse of information to show an issue in completely different meaning.
For example – A viral video of a mother making her child do homework in a strict manner but it is interpreted as ‘Some teacher harassing kid’. People share such videos without cross-checking and it harms the image of people involved.
4. Completely baseless content – This type of story is completely fake (i.e. never existed) and designed with the intention to do harm.
For example – Some group spreading fake news regarding religious beliefs of some people with an intention to start conflicts among different religious groups.
5. Rumours spread by blind followers – Sometimes, just to make people a follower /to increase fan following of some person, their blind followers spread words which are not true.
For example – Followers of some politician spread fake stories about his good deeds/work for society so that people start following him and vote for him.
Overall we can say that fake news is intended to influence the young minds such as for political gain/influence or sometimes, people want to show off their connections with popular people, organisation, brand or anything that is of high importance for people.
How should school students deal with fake news?
Ask them to reflect on their reactions
A lot of fake news is designed to get clicks and engagement – it therefore needs to elicit a strong reaction – outrage, anger, fear or even happiness. So, if your students have a strong reaction to an article, it’s important for them to stop and reflect on their reaction*. It could be a clue that what they’re reading is actually fake news.
Develop their critical thinking skills
Critical thinking and digital literacy go hand in hand. Encourage your students to work on their critical thinking skills by teaching them the following steps when they come across a news story they might think is fake:
1. Who created this content?
Whether it’s a video, an article, an infographic or a social media post, ask your students to think about who created it. Is it a journalist or reporter who works in mainstream media? Is it a celebrity? Is the creator anonymous?*
2. What else do you know about this topic?
Students should think about what they already know about the topic. Does what they know match up with the story they are reading? Does it sound believable, or is it surprising? Do they know enough to make an informed decision on how trustworthy the story is?
This will help them make sounder judgements as to the veracity of the story – or at least, it will help them consider whether they are in a position to trust the news.
3. Do some research
If students aren’t sure about the source of the story or their own background information, they can do some research to see if the story is being reported elsewhere.
Take this fun quiz to see if your students can guess which headlines are true, and which are fake news.
Share trustworthy news sources with your students
More generally, it’s good to get into the habit of talking about the news with your students. Children and teenagers enjoy reading about current affairs and sharing what they’ve learned. So, relate your classroom topics to current affairs whenever possible. providing your students with some trustworthy news sources, so they know what responsible journalism looks like.
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