Answer Close-Reading Questions
Have students write their responses, or use the Close-Reading Questions to guide a discussion.
• What’s the difference between misinformation and disinformation? Why are both a problem online? (Domain-Specific Vocabulary)
Both are terms for incorrect or misleading information, but disinformation is purposely spread by people who know it’s false. Misinformation and disinformation are a problem online because they can spread quickly on social media, and that’s where more than half of teens get their news. About one in five suggested videos about major news events on TikTok contain misinformation.
• Summarize at least two tips in the article for telling fact from fiction. (Summarizing)
Sample response: One librarian suggests that social media users analyze language in a post to see if it’s exaggerated or trying to make people feel a certain way. Another tip is to search for more content about a topic using general terms instead of specific wording that appears in questionable posts.
• How can people train social media algorithms? (Central Ideas)
People who use social media can train the algorithms by not clicking on content that seems outrageous because algorithms show you more of what you look at. People can also follow topics they’re interested in and look for different viewpoints from multiple sources.