As moms, our job is to keep our kids safe. We teach them to look both ways before crossing the street, to speak up if something doesn’t feel right, to choose kindness, and to stand up for others.
But these days, there’s another layer of protection parents need to teach kids that’s just as important: how to fact check in the misinformation age.
We are living in a time of deep uncertainty, fear, and confusion that hits us daily. From headlines that don’t tell the whole story to social media posts designed to stir up emotions rather than facts, our kids are growing up in an information minefield! Add in the erosion of rights and freedoms happening at alarming rates in our own country, and it’s more important than ever that the next generation knows how to think critically, ask questions, and seek clarity while they are surrounded by misinformation. How to fact check is vitally important.
Let’s be honest – we’ve all been there. We’ve read a headline that sparked instant outrage or shared a post from a friend without taking the time to verify the facts. I recently saw the post suggesting that President Trump refused to unveil Obama’s portrait or allow it to hang in the White House. This fueled my rage as I saw the executive branch looking for every minor thing to try and belittle past presidents and undo the good they accomplished.
However, this post was not entirely true. While President Trump did relocate Obama’s portrait in a typical self-satisfying display of ego that broke long-standing tradition and respect. Obama’s portrait was relocated within the Grand Foyer. The post I saw misconstrued the facts and was then propagated across social media to spark outrage – this was misinformation!
In today’s world of clickbait headlines and reality TV-style news coverage, stories are often designed to simply grab attention, not tell the full truth. Or the truth is buried in the story with a headline that is a supposition or misleading on purpose to grab attention. That’s why it’s more important than ever that we not only take a closer look ourselves, but also teach our kids how to fact check, question, research, and think critically about the information they see every day.
So, how do we raise truth-seekers and teach them how to fact check in the misinformation age? Here are a few things I do with my kids; you can too:
1. Talk about headlines – and how they trick us.
Explain that headlines are often written to grab attention, not tell the whole truth, but spark misinformation. Before they react, encourage your kids to read the full article and ask: “Who wrote this? What’s the goal here? Am I getting the full picture? Can I find another source on the same topic? Do you think they provided all of the facts?”
2. Teach them how to fact check like a pro.
Show them how to look up multiple sources. Use tools like Snopes, FactCheck.org, or even a quick Google search to compare different outlets. Model this by saying things like, “Let’s double-check that before we believe it, so we know what’s really true.”
Introduce them to Generative AI tools, like ChatGPT or Copilot, as a way to explore different perspectives in a conversation that isn’t driven by biased algorithms. Explain how many online platforms, especially social media, tailor the information they show in your feed or even in your Google searches based on your past behavior. This means you may not be seeing the full picture, just what the algorithm thinks you want to see.
3. Help them find trusted sources.
Talk about what makes a source trustworthy. Is it backed by experts? Is it transparent about its funding or biases? Encourage your kids to follow organizations that value truth over clickbait and look for writers who do not only focus on one side but provide the full story. Explore news outlets and information outside of your country and see what other parts of the world are saying and how they are affected by the information.
4. Encourage your kids to explore both sides.
Even if it’s hard or uncomfortable, reading and listening to perspectives we disagree with is one of the best ways to build empathy and critical thinking. It also helps us avoid getting stuck in an echo chamber, which can be dangerous.
I’ve always believed debate should be a required class in school. It challenges students to defend positions they may not agree with, which teaches them to think more deeply and argue respectfully. Everyone has a reason behind their beliefs. You may not agree with the reason, but trying to understand where someone is coming from is a powerful step toward becoming more open-minded and informed.
5. Keep the conversation open.
Ask what they’re seeing online. What are their friends saying? What are they talking about at school? What’s trending on TikTok or in Discord chats? This isn’t about judgment, it’s about creating a safe space to explore, question, and learn. Make sure they can voice their opinions, and not just what they think you want to hear.
I asked my son, who is headed to college next year, what he thought of all of the college attacks by the government and how his school is one that might be targeted. He told me he was trying to block it all out and not stress about it, and that in itself showed me how he is feeling and helped me think about how to support the fear that he might have inside and not be able to express so we can have more conversations without me imparting my fears on him to make it worse.
6. Remind them: their minds are powerful tools.
Help them understand that being informed is a form of protection against misinformation. In a world where freedoms are being chipped away, truth is not just important – it’s essential to their future. Knowing how to fact check is incredibly important.
This isn’t just about current events. What is happening today is terrifying at times, but one thing that is always true is that our kids will be slammed with rapid changes in technology and ever-refreshing social media newsfeeds zooming at them every day.
We need to raise kids who know how to lead with facts, not fear, and half-truths. Who can speak up when rights are threatened. Our kids need to understand that safety isn’t just physical – it’s intellectual, emotional, and civic.
We can’t shield our children from everything (as much as we want to), but we can prepare them to think, question, and stand strong by building lifelong skills that allow them to navigate this crazy world. That’s a gift we can give that will last far longer than any headline. We must teach them how to fact check in this age of misinformation.
Let’s raise a generation that knows how to tell what’s real and how to protect what matters most, especially in this time of turmoil and constant change.
Resources related to help fact check for parents and kids:
- News Literacy Project– a fantastic free resource offering information for educators and everyone about misinformation and determining the credibility of information.
- Snopes– A long-time trusted fact-checking site for viral claims and news stories with articles of all shapes and sizes to challenge your thinking.
- MediaWise (by the Poynter Institute)– Focuses on helping Gen Z sort fact from fiction on social media with training, resources and networks to join.
- FactCheck.org– Nonpartisan, reliable analysis of political and public statements
- Civic Online Reasoning from Stanford– Free lessons and activities for educators and parents on evaluating online information
- Ground News– Shows how stories are covered differently across the political spectrum.
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