In today’s world, we face a huge flow of information. One information is useful, interesting, the other is harmful, false and manipulative. Today, fakes lie in wait for us everywhere: on the Internet, social networks, the media, there are few and well-known people in stories. They affect our opinions, behaviors, emotions, as well as our health and safety.
How to teach a child to distinguish truth from fake? How can you help them develop critical thinking, ability to analyze and verify information? Let's find out in this article.
What is fake and why is it popular?
Fake is false, distorted or fabricated information that is presented as truth. Fakes are created for jokes, entertainment, provocation, manipulation, deception, profit, influence, etc. Fake can be done professionally or amateurly, can be easy or difficult to recognize.
Fakes are popular for several reasons:
- They attract attention. They can be bright, sensational, shocking, unusual, interesting. For example, news headlined “Apple Plans to Launch $20 Million Teleportation Device” is likely to attract a huge audience.
- They're spreading fast. They are willingly shared through the Internet, social networks, messengers, e-mail, etc. They can be retold, supplemented, changed.
- They affect emotions. They can affect people’s mood, well-being, motivation, actions and decisions. For example, after a news story with the headline “In 2026, humanity will be covered by a new dangerous virus”, many readers would have increased feelings of anxiety and panic.
How to develop analytical thinking in a child?
Analytical thinking is the ability to think logically, objectively, critically, analyze, compare, and verify information. Analytical thinking helps to distinguish truth from fakes, form your opinion and argue your position.
How to develop analytical thinking in a child? Here are some tips:
- Encourage curiosity. Ask questions that will make your child think, seek answers, and draw conclusions. For example: "Why do you think that?", "How do you know this?", "How did you check it?", "What can you say in favor or against it?".
- Learn to take information critically. Teach your child not to take information on faith, but to check it for accuracy. Learn to ask questions: "Who is the author of this information?", "What is his experience, qualifications, reputation?", "What is his interest, motive, purpose?", "How does he prove his statements?", "What facts, examples, references does he give?", "What reaction, emotion, action is expected from the reader?"
- Develop logical thinking. Teach your child to base his reasoning on facts, causes, and effects. For example: "If so, what follows from it?", "What is the cause and what is the effect of it?", "How is it similar or different from that?", "How can this be explained or understood?", "How can this be divided into parts or groups?".
- Use different sources of information. Ask your child to read, watch, listen to different information on the same topic, but from different sources, authors, points of view, formats. For example: “Let’s see what others say about this?”, “Let’s compare how it is written in the book and on the Internet?”, “Let’s hear what experts and ordinary people think about this?”
- Discuss the information. Share your opinions, impressions, doubts, questions about the information you received. Ask your child what he thinks about it. Listen to him carefully, respect his opinion, do not impose your own. For example: “I liked that there are many facts and examples in this article, but there are some doubts and questions”, “What do you think about this information?”, “How do you feel after finding out this?”, “What do you want to do about this?”.
What questions to ask to distinguish truth from fakes?
To better understand how to check information, sit down with him, open a news portal, choose a news story and ask each other these questions.
Who? Who is the author, source, addressee, hero of this information? What is his role, position, reputation, motivation, purpose, interest? Think together about this topic.
What? What is the main thing in the content, idea, thesis, conclusion, appeal of this information? Try to highlight the main essence and explain it to the child. ¶
Where? Where was it received, confirmed? Where can I find, check, compare? Find the same news on other portals and compare the information.
When? When was the information created, published, updated, changed, deleted? When did what is being said happen or will happen?
Why? Why was this news created, spread, changed? Why did this information happen, happen or happen? Why is it important, interesting, useful?
How? How was this news created? How did this information happen, happen or happen? How is that proven?
Why? Why is this information useful and interesting? Why read, check, compare, evaluate, criticize?
Having answered these questions, your child will understand how to distinguish truth from fakes and why it is necessary. Being online and communicating with other people will become safer and more meaningful.
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