A part of growing up is learning that you cannot trust everything you hear and see. Just because a person said something, does not mean it is true. This can be a hard lesson to learn, especially since many people want to be able to believe everything they are told. Unfortunately, doing that is not possible.
This lesson becomes even more important when looking at things online. Many people would like to think that everything they read online is true, but that is completely false. Anyone can say whatever they like on the internet, which means people can lie online. This is important for a person to know, and in today’s modern world, it is especially important for children to know as well.
As your children begin to grow up and use the internet more, be sure to teach them how to distinguish between trustworthy and untrustworthy online sources. Knowing how to do this will help you and your child find information that you can rely on. This can be useful for a number of reasons including:
- Writing reports for school.
- Looking for info relating to work.
- Deciding who to vote for in an election.
- Keep up-to-date with news from around the world.
When looking for sources online, try to determine who the author of the article is and where they got their information from. Do the writer have experience in this field, or did they get their research from their own reputable source. If the site’s URL ends in .edu, .gov, or .org then it has a better chance of being credible than the average website. However, for sites ending in .edu and .org, you will need to be wary of political biases.
By teaching yourself and your children how to find credible sources online, you make yourselves less likely to be fed false information. Having this skill will also help prevent you from falling victim to any scams that people may be trying to pull online. This will keep you safe and well informed online.
