Social Media And The Power Of Misinformation

On February 24th, 2022, after months of amassing troops on their border and making demands in the international arena, Russia invaded Ukraine under the orders of Vladimir Putin. The attack continues to have major consequences in the United States and around the world; stories about major attacks, the growing refugee crisis, and the response of the international community dominate the headlines. 

With the headline stories from major news outlets also came a wave of misinformation and disinformation. This isn’t accidental; Russia intentionally seeks to flood the internet with misinformation to cause confusion and uncertainty abroad. Social media networks have taken steps to stop these campaigns, which is critically important: according to PEW Research Center, roughly half of all Americans get their news from social media at least sometimes. 

But social media users– most of us– are still vulnerable to misinformation. And nowhere has that been more clear than TikTok. According to a recent study by NewsGuard, someone who creates a new TikTok account will be recommended videos with false or misleading information regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine within forty minutes. One of the false claims was that the US has bioweapon laboratories in Ukraine. Other videos claimed that fake footage was real and real footage was fake, further muddying the waters. 

This is why it is so important to equip young people with the tools to verify news and recognize misinformation. According to recent statistics, 60% of the people who use TikTok are between the ages of 16 and 24. Our Today’s Digital Citizens program helps students to pause and ask the right questions before accepting something on social media as fact. It helps develop the critical thinking skills necessary in a world that is flooded with both true and false information. And ultimately, these skills and tools will empower students to participate constructively in their communities and advocate for those who are suffering, even if they are on the other side of the world.