Using How2INFORM to Verify B4U Amplify to Combat Misinformation Online.

Outside of school and homework, tweens and teens spend hours online every day, constantly encountering falsehoods and dangerous misinformation. Adolescents are more likely to share messaging with others when it aligns with their interests, whether accurate or not. Media literacy and critical thinking skills are crucial in helping students identify and avoid false narratives tied to recruitment and mobilization to violence.

Illinois passed HB0234 in 2021, requiring all public high schools to offer at least one unit of media literacy training during the school year. How2INFORM provides media literacy training and resources to combat misinformation online. Our call to action is for students to “Verify B4U Amplify.”

Our topics include misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation, and we provide resources (books, games, articles, and more) to help kids better identify and avoid fabrications and inaccuracies.