2.4 Faking

The problem of “faking” news or information on the internet is not only concerning politicians nowadays, but it is also a phenomenon teenagers have to deal with in the context of bullying situations.

For instance, Deepfakes, a new AI-based technology that is used for producing or altering video content so that it presents something that did not in fact occur, is becoming increasingly easy to reach and use for teenagers.

How do we deal with such scenarios? A good start would surely entail teaching our students to critically evaluate all information they find online, not just in the context of recognising fake news but also for their own personal well-being. If you are unsure how to go about this, start out by taking a look at the resources and teaching materials developed by Webwise (the Irish Internet Safety Awareness Centre) which can help teachers to enable their students to be wiser and safer internet users.

Activity

Fact-finding web detectives

How could you help your students to distinguish fake from real? Think of one short activity that could help them to do so and share it here. In the context of this, think (and share) about the following question: Is it more effective if students approach this issue from a personal well-being perspective (i.e. understanding the issue as a matter of protecting themselves from harmful behaviour towards them or others) rather than in the context of political discussions about the impact of fake news, etc.? Or does this not matter?

Sometimes it is very difficult to identify fake or real news. I always say my students that they do not need to follow gossipings, and I raise the awarness with the question "what if you were in the pic or the video? would it be funny? Before sharing something they/we should look for the same information in different real sources. 

Use critical thinking, show them examples. It depends of the age of our students. In primary school we have to approach this issue from the personal perspective.

Students can learn how to distinguish real news from fake news only with examples.