Three Simple Questions to Protect Your Kids from Misinformation and Disinformation

Critical thinking skills have never been more important for kids and teens than they are in this moment, when a 24 hour news cycle—and round the clock access to social media—means we are bombarded by information and stories from across the political spectrum. However, information is not the same as facts, and just because someone wrote it down or created a video about it does not make it true.

Protecting young people from misinformation (the unintentional production or repetition of inaccurate information) and disinformation (the intentional creation and spreading of inaccurate information) isn't as simple as limiting their consumption. Even if your child or teen isn't on social media, they still have access to newspapers, magazines, radio, podcasts, internet searches, and conversations with their peers and the adults in their orbits. If we truly want to protect them from the harms of mis-and-disinformation, the most effective strategy isn't avoidance—it's fostering their critical thinking skills from an early age.

This sounds like a daunting task, so let's distill it down into three simple questions to consider whenever we're presented with new information:

1) Who's telling this story?

2) Who's benefiting from how this story is being told?

3) Who's missing from this story?

Let's explore that a bit more:

• Who's telling this story matters because we all have biases, and if the person writing/creating the content doesn't have access to accurate facts; or doesn't have training in examining multiple perspectives; or doesn't have a credible track record as someone who can be trusted to study and share all sides of an issue; or who has their own agenda—then it's more likely that the story contains misinformation or disinformation.

• Who's benefiting from how this story is being told matters because—if the story is seeking to tell the reader who the "good guys" and the "bad guys" are—then it's not about facts.

• Who's missing from this story matters because anything that is told from only one perspective is—by default—lacking in the necessary information to provide the full picture. And anyone who doesn't want their readers to have the full picture isn't acting ethically and shouldn't be trusted as a reliable source.

While this certainly isn't an exhaustive list of strategies for fostering kids' and teens' critical thinking skills, it does provide quick and manageable opportunities to consider what information is being consumed in your household. Fair warning, though: rather than leading to definite conclusions, the exercise of asking these questions typically leads to more questions...and seeking a variety of sources...and amazing discussions. The process is far more important than any specific conclusion, because it strengthens the ability to carefully consider the validity of sources and the intentions of the creators.

Critical thinking matters because kids and teens need to figure out who they are—and what they value and believe in—separately from the adults who raised them. It can be a scary and hard process to witness, because not everyone has their best interests at heart the way you do. However, if young people are prepared with solid processes for evaluating information, you can rest easier knowing they're less likely to fall prey to misinformation and disinformation.

Kate Garzón, M.Ed. is a "GPS" for the parents of toddlers through teens! A parent educator and parenting coach who empowers parents to solve frustrating behaviors—and raise great humans—by focusing on relationship-building, understanding development, and skill-building. You can find her at www.guidedparentingsupport.com or on social media @guidedparentingsupport.