How teens can avoid misinformation in the age of artificiality

Every day, large amounts of information from around the world are created on the Internet and shared with people around the world through different news sources.

However, many of these articles contain false or inaccurate information, including misleading content, misleading statements, and incorrect data. This misinformation, whether created intentionally or not, can spread quickly across various social media platforms.

People can easily read versions of different sources from biased news sources and then quickly create their versions of what they perceive, broadcasting them on apps like Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, etc. From there, millions of people may view these stories and falsely believe they understand what is happening in the world. This is a chain reaction that can lead to various negative consequences, including inaccurately influencing public opinion, creating confusion, destroying credibility, etc.

Disinformation in the Israel-Hamas conflict

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The Israel-Hamas conflict is a place for the dissemination of false information. Reports of false stories, doctored images and misleading videos circulate rapidly on the Internet, often increasing tensions among the population and influencing public opinion in various inaccurate ways. For example, people can create AI-generated videos of events or statements, which can make it difficult to distinguish fact from fiction.

As teenagers, we hope to see the real world as it is. We believe everyone has a responsibility to help maintain a clean online image while depicting only the truth. So how could we avoid misinformation, especially in the age of AI-generated content and online news? Here are some recommended strategies.

Self-education

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The first strategy teens should use to avoid falling victim to misinformation is self-education. Adolescents need to be informed about current events and trends as well as historical context to better understand the context of the topics.

Instead of getting news from their favorite content creator, they should consult a variety of credible news sources, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and more. It is also crucial that adolescents develop critical thinking skills capable of analyzing and evaluating the information presented wisely. Teenagers should learn to always raise questions if they see inconsistent statements, logical flaws, and unsupported claims.

It is also important for teenagers to be able to keep up with developments in technology. As AI becomes more and more common in people's daily lives, teenagers need to understand the signs and workings of AI-generated content. They will then be able to recognize it on social media pages and not be victims of inaccurate facts.

To avoid the widespread spread of misinformation, teens should avoid sharing information that they have not verified with credible sources. Whether the information sent is trustworthy or not, people will tend to believe the information if they trust the sender. On the other hand, if we notice that surrounding peers have already shared unverified information, just be more cautious about future information coming from the same person.

Check and cross-reference

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Sources of misinformation often use exaggerated headlines to attract public attention. Adolescents should learn to maintain a skeptical attitude toward these unverified claims.

In addition, adolescents should always remember to verify the source of the information presented. As mentioned earlier, there are various reliable sources such as scientific journals, official TV and radio channels, and print media, which are reputable due to their content rules and publication policies. Domain names of official websites of government organizations, institutions, and agencies usually end in .gov, .edu, or .org and are one of the most reliable sources for information on the Internet.

We can cross-check information from several reliable agencies and assess the credibility of a source. Additionally, we may research the author's background, expertise, and affiliations, as well as the organizational history of the source website. The “Our Mission”, “About Us” or “Meet the Team” sections are always useful.

Another good way to assess the credibility of information is to look for reviews and comments about the source. Comments from other viewers can provide teens with information they often ignore. Be sure to pay attention to reviews from experts who can specifically assess the credibility of the information.

Detect misinformation using AI tools

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Although AI contributes to the spread of misinformation, it can also offer tools to combat it. Many tools can help detect misinformation so teens know what information to trust.

For example, Snopes is a well-known fact-checking website that exposes fake news and tests the credibility of rumors and myths. Additionally, there is also a browser extension called NewsGuard which helps users identify reliable sources based on credibility rating. Furthermore, BS detection is a browser extension that deliberately reports websites known for publishing fake news. Media bias/fact-checking is a website that provides biased reviews from over 2,000 media sources and verifies their content. Announcement Fonte Media provides a chart of the bias and reliability of various new sources.

We may use AI tools to verify the authenticity of images and videos. Google Reverse Image Search is one such tool that allows us to upload an image or provide an image URL to search for similar images online. By comparing these images, we can detect some details falsified or exaggerated by the source.

Conclusion

In today's world, disinformation spreads quickly, especially during conflicts like the one between Israel and Hamas. It is therefore essential that adolescents remain vigilant and well informed about the information they obtain. If our fellow teens make sure to educate themselves, think critically, and use AI tools to check facts, together we can better navigate the online world.