Start here · Essential guide
How to Judge What You See on Social Media
A practical framework for sizing up posts, sources and motives on social media, so you can decide what to trust, what to question and what to skip.
People and Society
Information and Misinformation
How to judge what you see and how false claims spread.
A Quick Checklist for Verifying a Post Before You Share
A short, practical checklist for fact checking a post in a couple of minutes: check the source, date and context, then decide whether to share.
Echo Chambers and Filter Bubbles Explained
What echo chambers and filter bubbles mean, why researchers disagree about how strong they are, and practical ways to widen what you see in your feed.
How Headlines and Screenshots Mislead
Learn how misleading headlines, cropped screenshots and trimmed quotes distort the truth by stripping context, and how to check the original before reacting.
Misinformation, Disinformation and Rumors: What Is the Difference
Plain definitions of misinformation, disinformation and rumors, why intent matters, and how coordinated disinformation differs from honest mistakes.
Satire, Parody and Hoaxes: Telling Them Apart
Why satire and parody are often mistaken for real news, how online hoaxes differ from jokes, and simple ways to check whether a story is meant seriously.
Spotting Edited Images and Misleading Clips
Common ways photos and videos are altered or misused, how reverse image checks work, and why caution is wise when judging manipulated media by eye.
Understanding Sponsored Opinions and Hidden Persuasion
How paid, gifted or coordinated messaging can pass for ordinary opinion online, what disclosure does and does not tell you, and how to read such posts.
What Fact-Checkers Do and What They Cannot Do
How independent fact-checkers choose claims, investigate them and rate them, where their work falls short, and how to read their ratings sensibly.
Why False Claims Spread Faster Than Corrections
The attention and emotion factors that help misleading posts travel, why corrections struggle to keep up, and what readers can do to slow the spread.
Related topics
More in people and society
Social Effects Wellbeing, relationships, safety, community and learning. News and Politics Media, news, civic life and movements in the social era. Privacy and Security General good practice for protecting accounts and personal information. Families and Young People Balanced guidance on screens, sharing and growing up online.