Evidence · Critical thinking
Can children tell news from advertising? What the research shows
How well students judge what they read online, and simple habits that help them check a source.
The short answer
Stanford researchers tested thousands of students on judging information online. More than 80% of middle schoolers believed an ad labeled "sponsored content" was a real news story. Students at every level trusted polished design over evidence. The good news is that a few simple habits make a large difference.
Students trust what looks professional
In 2016 the Stanford History Education Group gave 15 tests to middle school, high school and college students. More than 80% of middle schoolers believed a native ad labeled "sponsored content" was a news story. Only about a quarter of high school students understood the blue verification checkmark on a social media account. College students let polished design and an "About" page lower their guard.
How fact-checkers do it
The same Stanford researchers later watched professional fact-checkers judge unfamiliar websites. The fact-checkers left the page and checked what other sources said about it before they read closely. The researchers call this "lateral reading." Historians and Stanford students in the same study stayed on the page and were fooled more often.
Schools are being asked to teach this
The U.S. Surgeon General's 2023 advisory on social media called for digital and media literacy lessons in schools.
What you can do now
- Practice with your child on a post, an ad or a news story. Ask who is behind it, what evidence it gives, and what other sources say about it.
- Show your child how to open a new tab and search the name of a website or author before trusting it.
- Point out "sponsored" labels and talk about why companies pay to look like news.
- Ask your school how it teaches students to judge sources.
Related
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