Truth or Trap? Recognising Misinformation

Imagine a message pings into your group chat. It says: 'Scientists have confirmed that looking at your phone screen for more than two hours a day permanently damages your eyesight — share this before it's too late!' Your friend has already forwarded it to fifty people. Before you tap 'share', stop. How do you actually know if that claim is true? In this starter, think about the last time you read something online that surprised or shocked you. Did you check whether it was accurate — or did you just believe it? Be honest with yourself. Most people, including adults, sometimes share things without checking. Today you are going to learn exactly how to avoid that trap.

Misinformation is false or inaccurate information that is shared, often without the person realising it is wrong. It is different from disinformation, which is false information spread deliberately to deceive people. Both are harmful, but the motives are different: misinformation can spread through honest mistakes, while disinformation involves intent to mislead. Misinformation spreads so fast for two main reasons. First, our brains are wired to pay attention to surprising, emotional, or alarming content — this is called an emotional trigger. A story that makes you feel angry, scared, or excited is much more likely to be shared than a dull but accurate one. Second, we tend to trust information more when it comes from people we know, even if those people got it wrong themselves. This is called the familiarity bias. Warning signs to watch for: 1. Sensational language — words like 'SHOCKING', 'BANNED', or 'THEY don't want you to know' are designed to trigger emotion, not inform. 2. No named source — reliable information usually says who found it out (e.g. a university study, a named journalist, an official health body). 3. The story only appears on one obscure website, not on multiple trusted outlets. 4. The image does not match the story — images are often taken out of context. 5. Urgency pressure — phrases like 'share before it's deleted!' push you to act before you think. The SIFT method is a simple fact-checking tool: • Stop — pause before sharing. • Investigate the source — who created this content and why? • Find better coverage — search for the same claim on trusted news sites or fact-checking sites. • Trace claims back to the original — go upstream to the primary source rather than relying on a summary. Using SIFT takes about two minutes. That two minutes can stop a false claim reaching hundreds of people through your own network.