Can You Trust TikTok?

TikTok, like Instagram and Snapchat, was created as an entertainment app. But as TikTok has grown in popularity, more people are relying on it for news. 

Most people look for info online using search engines like Google. But many kids and teens now turn to TikTok to search for info. One reason is that some kids prefer to scroll through short TikTok videos instead of pages full of text. Plus, the clips are often posted by an influencer that kids trust or someone they know.

“Just because a friend shares a video doesn’t mean it’s reliable,” says Howard Schneider. He’s a media expert at Stony Brook University in New York. “You need to evaluate it yourself.” 

That can be hard. Videos meant to be jokes are often mistaken for fact. And you don’t need to be an expert to edit videos so they seem real. To make the fake fight look believable, Kit shot shaky footage. Then he and his friends added sound effects.

“It was easy,” explains Kit. “It took maybe 5 or 10 minutes.” 

Instagram and Snapchat were created as entertainment apps. TikTok was too. TikTok has grown in popularity. Now more people rely on it for news. 

Most people look for info online using search engines like Google. But many kids and teens now turn to TikTok to search for info. One reason is that some kids prefer to scroll through short TikTok videos. They don’t want to scroll through pages full of text. Plus, the clips are often posted by an influencer kids trust. Sometimes they’re posted by a person they know.

“Just because a friend shares a video doesn’t mean it’s reliable,” says Howard Schneider. He’s a media expert at Stony Brook University in New York. “You need to evaluate it yourself.” 

That can be hard. Videos meant to be jokes are often mistaken for fact. And you don’t need to be an expert to edit videos. It’s easy to make them seem real. Kit shot shaky footage to make the fake fight look believable. Then he and his friends added sound effects.

“It was easy,” explains Kit. “It took maybe 5 or 10 minutes.” 

TikTok says it’s committed to fighting false info. Hundreds of millions of videos were removed from the app in 2022. Many of them contained harmful info. Still, there are more than 1 billion active users on TikTok each month, so videos can go viral quickly. How can you make sure what you’re seeing is real?

“Be skeptical and ask questions,” Schneider advises. “And never share anything until you’re sure it’s true.”

TikTok says it’s committed to fighting false info. Hundreds of millions of videos were removed from the app in 2022. Many of them contained harmful info. Still, there are more than 1 billion active users on TikTok each month. Because of this, videos can go viral quickly. How can you make sure what you’re seeing is real?

“Be skeptical and ask questions,” Schneider advises. “And never share anything until you’re sure it’s true.”

1. Why did Kit Atteberry and three other students at Williams Middle School post fake videos?
2. What is misinformation, according to the article?
   
3. According to the sidebar, “Don’t Be Fooled!,” what are two steps you could take to tell fact from fiction in a video?
   

1. Why did Kit Atteberry and three other students at Williams Middle School post fake videos?
2. What is misinformation, according to the article?
   
3. According to the sidebar, “Don’t Be Fooled!,” what are two steps you could take to tell fact from fiction in a video?