Misinformation and disinformation — Media, 11–13 years
False information can be shared by mistake or created deliberately to mislead. The difference is about intent, but both can cause trouble when people pass them on without checking.
False information is not all the same
Misinformation is false or inaccurate information shared by someone who may believe it is true. Disinformation is made or spread knowingly to mislead people. You often cannot tell the difference from the words alone, so checking the claim matters more than guessing the sender’s intention.
Why does it spread?
People share warnings, surprising stories and messages from friends quickly because they want to help or be helpful. The problem is that speed can come before checking, and a small mistake can reach thousands. Knowing this gives you a pause between seeing a claim and passing it on.
A message about a school closure
A group chat says, “School is closed tomorrow,” but gives no source. First, do not forward it as fact. Check the school’s official message, then look at the date and whether the notice refers to your school. If the office says it is open, reply with that evidence instead of repeating the rumour.
A confident message may still be false
People often trust a message that sounds certain, uses capital letters or says “share this now”. That reaction is reasonable because confidence can signal knowledge in ordinary conversation. Online, however, style is easy to copy, so look for a source, date and independent confirmation.
Before forwarding
Use this check before forwarding a warning, fundraiser or dramatic claim: pause, find the original source, check the date and compare with a trustworthy independent source. If you cannot verify it, you can say that you are unsure or simply leave it unshared.
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