Don't Fall for a Fake

It started with a wild claim: On February 10, the pull of gravity on Earth would change. That would allow a broom to stand upright on its own. Soon, people all over social media were taking the broomstick challenge. On TikTok alone, videos of it have been viewed millions of times.

But the challenge was a fake. Brooms can stand upright on any day of the year.

The broomstick challenge was pretty harmless. But experts say it’s just one example of a more serious social media problem: misinformation. That’s information that is incorrect, misleading, or deceptive. On apps like YouTube and TikTok, it’s easy for bad info to go viral.

It started with a wild claim. On February 10, the pull of gravity on Earth would change. That would allow a broom to stand upright on its own. Soon, people all over social media were taking the broomstick challenge. On TikTok alone, videos of it have been viewed millions of times. 

But the challenge was a fake. Brooms can stand upright on any day of the year.

The broomstick challenge was pretty harmless. But experts say it’s an example of a more serious social media problem: misinformation. That’s information that is incorrect, misleading, or deceptive. On apps like YouTube and TikTok, it’s easy for bad info to go viral.

Every day, countless bits of misinformation are shared on social media. Misinformation comes in many forms. It could be a fake news article posted on Twitter or a phony photo on Instagram. It might also be a video on YouTube that presents false information as fact.

Often people spread hoaxes for fun or to get likes or shares. But sometimes, misinformation is about important topics, like the environment or politics. The goal of these viral hoaxes is to change people’s opinions—and even affect how people vote.

Experts say false information is most effective when it sparks laughter, anger, or sadness.

“If a post or picture or video makes the viewer feel very strongly, they are more likely to share it,” says Sierra Filucci of Common Sense Media. That organization aims to help kids spot false information online.

And, Filucci says, the more a video or post has been liked or shared, the more likely others are to believe it—and to share it without checking the facts.

Every day, misinformation is shared on social media. It comes in many forms. It could be a fake news article posted on Twitter. It could be a phony photo on Instagram. It might also be a video on YouTube that presents false information as fact.

Often people spread hoaxes for fun or to get likes or shares. But sometimes, misinformation is about important topics, like the government. The goal of these hoaxes is to change people’s opinions. They could even affect how people vote.

Experts say false information is most effective when it sparks anger or sadness.

“If a post or picture or video makes the viewer feel very strongly, they are more likely to share it,” says Sierra Filucci of Common Sense Media. That group aims to help kids spot false information online. 

Filucci says the more a video or post has been liked or shared, the more likely others are to believe it. And more people are likely to share it without checking the facts.

With all this misinformation, it can be hard to tell what’s true. Sometimes, the best clue is where you’re seeing it.

Think about why people use an app like TikTok. It’s probably to watch goofy videos of viral dances, not to do research for a school project. So it’s important to understand how platforms differ from one another.

“Places like TikTok or YouTube are designed to be fun and entertaining,” Filucci says. “They’re not created to communicate accurate information, like news organizations are.”

It can be hard to tell what’s true. Sometimes, the best clue is where you’re seeing it.

Think about why people use an app like TikTok. It’s probably to watch goofy videos of viral dances, not to do research for a school project. So it’s important to understand how platforms differ from one another.

“Places like TikTok or YouTube are designed to be fun and entertaining,” Filucci says. “They’re not created to communicate accurate information, like news organizations are.”