Cultivating Fact-Checkers: Exposing Children to Online Misinformation

In today's world, where online misinformation is prevalent, UC Berkeley psychologists have proposed a surprising solution: intentionally exposing young children to misinformation under controlled conditions. Evan Orticio, a Ph.D. student in Psychology and the paper's main author published in "Nature Human Behaviour," asserts that this approach can enhance children's fact-checking skills. Instead of shielding children from all misinformation, adults should help them develop critical thinking skills needed to discern facts from falsehoods online, Phys.org reported.

Orticio's studies involved 122 children between ages 4 and 7 examining various truths and fabrications in digital contexts, such as an e-book and search engine results about animals like zebras, as well as fictional alien species called Zorpies. Observations revealed that children exposed to more false information were more rigorous in fact-checking new scenarios compared to those who had encountered fewer inaccuracies. The experiments suggest that children can adapt their skepticism based on the quality of prior digital interactions.

The study highlights an urgent need to prepare children for online experiences, noting that many encounter misinformation via social platforms at young ages. Even platforms marketed as child-friendly can host misleading content, thereby falsely reassuring parents about their children's safety. Orticio advocates for guiding children to leverage skepticism constructively rather than striving for a completely sanitized internet experience. Direct discussions with children about media literacy are recommended to cultivate a healthy skepticism essential in navigating today's digital landscape.

Earlier, SSP wrote that scientists managed to replicate animal movements with striking accuracy.