KS3 · Computer Science

Spotting misinformation online

A post has 2.4 million shares. Does that make it true? Not even slightly. By the end of this lesson you'll know why, and what to do instead.

An invented post to investigate

Would you believe it? Would you share it?

The claim

This post is true, so it's safe to share: “SUMMER HOLIDAYS CUT TO TWO WEEKS FROM NEXT YEAR!!!”

Place each piece of evidence to load the balance. Mark the strong ones — they count double.

  1. It has been shared 2.4 million times in two days.

    Evidence 1: does it support or challenge the claim?

  2. The page has the name and colours of a famous news organisation.

    Evidence 2: does it support or challenge the claim?

  3. The headline is in ALL CAPITALS, with three exclamation marks.

    Evidence 3: does it support or challenge the claim?

  4. There's no author's name and no date anywhere on the post.

    Evidence 4: does it support or challenge the claim?

  5. The web address is one letter different from that news organisation's real address.

    Evidence 5: does it support or challenge the claim?

  6. The post ends: “SHARE NOW before they delete this!”

    Evidence 6: does it support or challenge the claim?

  7. You search for the story and no other reliable news source is reporting it.

    Evidence 7: does it support or challenge the claim?

Misinformation or disinformation?

MisinformationvsDisinformation

That holiday post could be either. Start with the first row: it's the one that decides it.

Focus

Does the person sharing it mean to deceive?

Misinformation

No. They often believe it's true, so they're passing on a mistake.

Disinformation

Yes. It's created or shared deliberately, to deceive.

The insight

This is the difference that matters: intent. One person is fooled. The other is doing the fooling.

Is the information false?

Misinformation

False or misleading.

Disinformation

False.

Why does the false content get made?

Misinformation

It can start as a joke or satire. Then it gets shared out of context, and people take it seriously.

Disinformation

For example: to earn money from adverts when people click (clickbait), to influence what people think, or to damage someone's reputation.

An example

Misinformation

Someone sees a fake story, believes it, and shares it to warn their friends.

Disinformation

A website invents a shocking story because every click earns it advertising money.

Why false posts spread so fast

Rebuild the spread loop, then break it

2 stages are missing. Use the rest of the loop to work out which goes where.

  1. Stage 1: The post provokes a strong emotion

    False posts are often designed to shock, scare or anger you.

  3. Stage 3: Engagement rises

    More reactions, comments and shares pile up.

  5. Stage 5: More people see the post

    Each new viewer meets the same shocking post, and the loop goes round again, bigger.

…and stage 5 leads back to stage 1.

But what if there's a photo?

Is a photo proof?

An invented example: a dramatic photo is going round of huge waves crashing over a town's seafront, captioned “Happening RIGHT NOW!”

Which is closest to what you think right now?
How sure are you?

Your turn to check

How would you check this claim?

An invented post says: “NEW STUDY: pupils who play video games the night before a test get higher scores!” It includes a chart. Describe how you would check whether this claim is trustworthy before you believe it or share it. [5 marks]

0 words · your answer stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.

What do you do with it?

Choose your route

Pick the route that matches the post in front of you, and follow it to the action at the end.

Is it harmful or upsetting? → Could it be false?

3 possible responses.

On You come across a post online. 2 branches to choose from.

WHAT YOU'VE LEARNED

A quick recap of today's lesson.

Millions of shares don't make a post true. Learn to read the warning signs, check a claim, and decide what to do with it.

What you need to know

  • Misinformation is false or misleading information shared, often by people who believe it's true. Disinformation is false information created or shared deliberately to deceive.
  • Anyone can publish content online, and it isn't checked for accuracy before it appears, so being online, popular or widely shared doesn't make a claim true.
  • To judge a post, look for warning signs, ask who made it and why, when, and on what evidence, and cross-check with other independent, reliable sources. If it may be false, don't share it; if it's harmful or upsetting, report it and talk to a trusted adult.

The big picture

Anyone can publish online, and nothing is checked before it appears, so a post being online, popular or widely shared doesn't make it true. Misinformation is false or misleading information shared, often by people who believe it; disinformation is false information created or shared deliberately to deceive. False content spreads fast because it's easy to share, it's built to provoke strong emotions, and recommendation systems tend to show more of what gets the most engagement. Look for warning signs, check who made it, why, when and on what evidence, cross-check with independent reliable sources, and don't share anything that may be false.

Key points

1Misinformation: false or misleading information that is shared, often by people who believe it's true. Disinformation: false information created or shared deliberately to deceive. The difference is intent.
2People create false content for reasons such as earning advertising money from clicks (clickbait), influencing opinions, damaging someone's reputation, or as a joke or satire that's then shared out of context.
3False content spreads fast: it's easy to share with one click, it's often designed to provoke shock, fear or anger, and recommendation systems tend to show users more of the content that gets the most engagement.
4Warning signs include a sensational or all-capitals headline, no clear author or source, no date or an old story presented as new, spelling and grammar errors, a web address that imitates a well-known organisation, claims no other reliable source reports, and pressure to share urgently.
5Images and videos can mislead: a real photo can be edited, cropped or given a false caption from a different time or place, and software, including AI, can create realistic fake images, audio and video called deepfakes.
6To check a claim, ask who made it and why, whether the source is reliable and has expertise, when it was published and what the evidence is. Read beyond the headline, cross-check with independent reliable sources, and use a reverse image search or a fact-checking website.
7If content may be false, don't share it. If it's harmful or upsetting, report it using the platform's reporting tools and talk to a trusted adult.

Worked example

Problem

An invented example: a post says the local swimming pool is closing for good this Friday. It shows a photo of the pool. There's no author's name, the date shows it was first posted three years ago, and it's being shared today as if it were new. Should you believe it, and what should you do?

⚠ Watch out

Trusting a post because lots of people have shared or liked it. Anyone can publish online and nothing is checked first, so a big share count only shows a post is popular. It's never evidence that it's true.

🧠

Memory hook

Popular isn't proof. Before you share, ask: Who made it? Why? When? What's the evidence? Who else says so? If you're not sure, the loop stops with you.

✓

Check yourself

Close the page: give one warning sign, one way to check a claim, and the one thing you should never do with a post that might be false. (For example: no author; cross-check; share it.)

Flashcards

(13)
What is misinformation?
False or misleading information that is shared, often by people who believe it's true.
What is disinformation?
False information that is created or shared deliberately to deceive.
Why doesn't a huge share count prove a post is true?
Anyone can publish online and content isn't checked for accuracy before it appears. Shares show a post is popular, not that it's accurate.
What does a recommendation system on social media tend to do?
Show users more of the content that gets the most engagement, which helps shocking posts reach more people.
What is clickbait?
Content made to get you to click, often so its maker earns money from advertising.
Give four reasons why people create false or misleading content.
To earn money from advertising when people click, to influence opinions, to damage someone's reputation, or as a joke or satire that is then shared out of context.
Which warning signs can you spot in a post's headline and wording?
A sensational or all-capitals headline, spelling and grammar errors, and pressure to share it urgently.
Which warning signs can you spot in where a post comes from?
No clear author or source, no date or an old story presented as new, and a web address that imitates a well-known organisation.
Name three ways a real photo can mislead you.
It can be edited, it can be cropped, or it can be shown with a false caption from a different time or place.
What is a deepfake?
A realistic fake image, audio clip or video created by software, including artificial intelligence.
What does cross-checking mean?
Checking whether other independent, reliable sources report the same thing.
Name two tools that can help you check a post.
A reverse image search (to find where an image really came from) and a fact-checking website.
What should you do if a post might be harmful or upsetting?
Don't share it. Report it using the platform's reporting tools and talk to a trusted adult.

Tap any card to flip it, or use Study as deck to go through them one at a time. In the full lesson these run as a spaced-repetition deck — you rate each card Hard, Good or Easy and the tricky ones keep coming back until they stick.

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How this lesson was checked. This KS3 Computer Sciencelesson was published through Lightbulb Learning's human-designed editorial process — the educational standards, accuracy rules and publication checks it must pass were authored and approved by Philip Halpin. It passed subject-specific assessment, automated educational checks and technical publication verification before going live (publication checks completed 2 October 2026). Published pages are monitored, human spot-checking is ongoing across the lesson library, and anything found wrong is corrected or withdrawn. How our lessons are made and checked. Spotted a mistake? Email hello@lightbulblearning.co and we'll review it.