The Connections Bridgewater Somerville Edition June 2025

KIDZ CONNECTION

PAGE 36

TEEN VOICE That’s So Fake! How to Spot the Lies Hiding in Your Feed By Adithya Bharath H

MATH TUTORING GRADES 2-5

1. Satire or Parody: Meant to be funny, but people take it seriously. Ever seen a joke post get thousands of angry comments? Yikes. 2. False Connections: Headlines or thumb nails that have NOTHING to do with the actual story. Classic clickbait move. 3. Misleading Content: Info that’s techni cally true, but it’s twisted to change how you see a person or issue. Like showing just one quote to make someone sound evil. 4. Fake Context: Sharing real stuff with the wrong background. Posting an old protest video and saying it’s happening today? Not okay. 5. Imposter Content: Someone pretending to be a legit source (like CNN or a celeb). Check those usernames — one extra letter changes everything. 6. Manipulated Content: Videos or pho tos that are edited to trick you. Yes, we’re talking ‘deepfakes’ and sneaky Photoshop skills.

ave you ever shared a post just because it had a dra matic headline or a wild video — only to realize later it wasn’t

F R E E F I R S T S ES S ION

even true? You’re not alone. Most of us get our news from short vid eos, memes, and quick posts on places like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Snap. But here’s the problem: a lot of what goes viral online isn’t real. And the more shock ing it is, the more likely it is to spread — whether it’s true or not. So what’s the difference? Misinformation is false information shared by someone who thinks it’s true. Disinformation is false information shared by someone who knows it’s fake. Either way, both mess with your ability to know what’s real and what’s not. Why this mat ters to YOU becoming part of the problem. Misinfor mation spreads quickly, especially when it stirs up strong emotions like fear or anger. That is why it is important to pause and ask questions. Who created this post? Where did the information come from? Does this seem exaggerated or overly dramatic? Being a smart consumer of information does not mean knowing everything. It means staying curious, asking questions, and thinking carefully before believing or sharing something. You do not need to re search every single meme, but you should know the signs of fake or misleading con tent so you can protect yourself and others from being fooled. Know the Tricks Here are 7 types of fake info you might see online: It is easy to scroll, like, and share without thinking twice. But every time someone shares a post without checking if it is true, they risk

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7.Fabricated Content: Like ly 100% fake. Made up just to cause drama or harm. Some people just want chaos. Content:

BRIANNA PETRO K-5 MATH TEACHER 908-938-6989 CALL OR TEXT

Real Talk: What You Can Do It’s not about never being wrong — it’s about learning to question before you share. Try asking: • Where did this come from? • Can I find this story anywhere else? • Is this post trying to make me angry or scared on purpose? Even adults struggle to sort through this stuff. That’s why it is so important for us to learn how to think critically about what we see online. Don’t believe everything at first glance. Ask questions. Check the source. Look it up somewhere else. Learning to recognize fake or twisted information is one of the most important life skills you can have in the digital world. Want to be smarter than your screen? Start by ques tioning what you see.

www.linkedin/in/briannapetro

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