| Debunking, verification, and fact checking are often used interchangeably, sometimes causing confusion, but there are differences. Debunking is literally the act of exposing the falseness of a claim. From this point of view, while verification and fact checking is the process we use to inspect the accuracy of an information, debunking is like the final act. We might find an information to be true after fact checking it and then of course we can’t debunk it. Generally, when it comes to media literacy and critical thinking, one of the first practical tools against misinformation is fact checking and researching the same information from different sources. Its impact however is still subject to investigation. Apart from the studies supporting the necessity of fact checking, another argument beside it is that it is still a better option than regulating the rights of free speech. And as we arrive at the topic of free speech the discourse becomes really heated and politicised. While we can observe that traditionally the whole political spectrum agrees that misinformation and fake news are a real problem which had to be treated, none of them found a better solution which is acceptable for every party than fact checking. Below you will find a list of training activities you can implement with your class/young people with the purpose of gaining knowledge and abilities dealing with various aspects related to conspiracy theories. |
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What is a conspiracy theory?
The information bubble
Why do we believe in conspiracy theories?
Fact checking
What is critical thinking?
How to escape the rabbit hole?
Activity description
5 min
2. Instruct the participants to browse through the information within the designated time frame. Each of them has to go over the slides at their own pace. (An interesting observation might be taken if we start a stopwatch and rank the participants as they finish.)
10 min
3. When everybody is finished, ask them to write down on a piece of paper the information they remember after scrolling through the notifications.
5 min
4. Ask them about the information they remembered, why was that particular piece of information useful for them?
What type of information they remembered mostly?
Why is that?
If you kept a record of their time try to revisit how much information they remembered compared to their time, for example: the one with the best time might remember fewer, more out of place headlines. Mindless scrolling might result in a higher percentage of believing in conspiracy theories. That is why a huge amount of information is dangerous since our critical sense weakens.
10 min
