False Information Online :
Q & A for grown-ups
Before you start the new Build & Talk: False Information Online activity with your child why not refresh your knowledge on the topic?
You’ll find some helpful information below. When you’ve had a look, start the activity here
Why is it important for my child to be able to recognize false information online?
Thinking critically about the information and people we come across online is a key digital life skill. It’s important children understand that not everything they read or see online is true and that information can be misinterpreted or misrepresented. Encourage your child to use good judgement and fact-checking skills so they know who and what to trust online and what to challenge or ignore.
So what is false information online?
False information online is content that is purposely misleading or deceptive or just simply incorrect. It could take the form of a written article containing fake news, a manipulated image, a video that uses deepfake technology, or a combination of these. It can be created or manipulated for many different reasons such as for humour, to make someone look better or for politically motivated reasons.
False information can spread quickly across online networks. Information can be shared via bots, automated social media accounts resembling genuine users, through algorithms that curate our personal news feeds and search results, and through our friends, contacts or people we follow on social media.
How can my child decide what is true or false online?
Encourage your child to question what they watch and read and to check whether the information is supported by credible facts. Ask them to think about who created the content and why. Can the information be found independently elsewhere, for example on credible news websites?
Explain to your child how easy it is for people to pretend to be someone else online and why it’s important to avoid sharing personal information such as photos, names, address, school or phone number with anyone they don’t know.
What’s the most important thing for my child to remember?
If in doubt, ask a grown-up! If your child isn’t sure if something they’ve seen or read online is true, they should always check with you or another trusted grown-up. This could be a piece of information or a person they encounter online or a website asking them to re-share questionable content. One of the best ways to keep your child safe online is to stay in the loop, checking-in for regular chats. We made Build & Talk activities to help get you started.
How is the LEGO Group helping keep kids safe online?
Our digital experiences and games are safe-by-design and we always strive to be best in class when it comes to our users’ online safety. On our social platforms all comments and uploads are checked by trained moderators, so things are kept positive and fun and children get playful, randomized names to protect their identity.
We have also introduced Verified Parental Consent, enabling parents to verify themselves and give consent for their child to play and share in our LEGO experiences.