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On the Radar: Hurricane Misinformation, Fact-Checking Kids and the Upside-Down Trend

Fake AI Images and Conspiracy Theories Harass Hurricane Helpers

What? Social media has been inundated with fake, AI-generated images of Hurricane Helene as well as conspiracy theories about the origin of Hurricane Milton.

So What? Experts warn that this type of misinformation has many negative effects, such as desensitization and skepticism toward such disasters, but it also makes it harder for meteorologists and first responders to get potentially life-saving information to those who need it most.

Now What? Urge your kids (and practice this yourself) not to post information about any natural disaster unless it comes from trusted and verified sources. These posts clog up social media feeds, making it more difficult for folks in need to find helpful resources. And even if shared as a joke or meme, many of the fake images can also serve as trojan horses for cyberattacks or contain links to scam fundraising campaigns.

https://youtube.com/shorts/nZdnju6_EMU?feature=share

How to Teach Your Kid to Spot Misinformation

What? A new study by UC Berkeley found that complete sanitization of our children’s online environment may make it harder for them to learn crucial fact-checking skills.

So What? In the experiment, the researchers exposed young children (ages 4 to 7) to information about animals. Kids who were fed known falsehoods (such as that zebras are red and green) were more likely to fact-check in the next phase of the experiment. Whereas kids who were fed only truths (that zebras are black and white) were less skeptical and more accepting of lies going forward.

Now What? If your child has access to the internet, consider incorporating this method into their learning experience. Like the researchers, start with two pieces of information about an animal to verify (one true and one false). As they get older, move on to tougher subjects, such as historical events. This practice can teach them to have a healthy level of skepticism and also help develop fact-checking skills that will serve them their whole lives.

Upside-Down Trend Likely Spells Disaster

What? Folks are expressing the happy feeling they get when they’re together by literally flipping each other upside down to the tune of Jack Johnson’s “Upside Down.”

So What? The trend is pretty cute, but it could also be pretty dangerous. Proper form and adequate strength are both prerequisites to ensure that the flipper doesn’t get kicked in the head and the flippee doesn’t get dropped.

Now What? If your teens jump on this silly trend, make sure they’re supervised and exercising the requisite amount of caution. And if any accidental injuries occur, seek medical care immediately.

Emily Tsiao

Emily studied film and writing when she was in college. And when she isn’t being way too competitive while playing board games, she enjoys food, sleep, and geeking out with her husband indulging in their “nerdoms,” which is the collective fan cultures of everything they love, such as Star Wars, Star Trek, Stargate and Lord of the Rings.

3 Responses

  1. I think we need to stop calling conspiracy theories “conspiracy theories” (as opposed to “slander”) if they don’t have proof, just as was the case with hoaxes against Covid masks and vaccines, because” theory is a scientific word that “the hurricane was generated by a space laser” does not deserve without evidence to back it up.

    1. You have a point, Erik. Because I keep meeting coworkers and patients at work who believe conspiracy theories I have tried to find out more about them. I believe they are a coping mechanism to explain tragic events.
      For example: the Lahaina fires last year happened during a dry spell with very high winds. The conspiracy theorists blame direct energy weapon lasers, saying that since some blue things survived intact and car engines melted that it was evidence of a laser. They use the fact that the laser exists as proof it was used and ignore that some things that weren’t blue also survived the fires. The path of destruction of the fires seemingly randomly hitting some buildings and not others was also happening with wildfires on the mainland before these lasers existed and trees do burn sometimes internally if they have rotten wood. I do admit that I can’t explain some of the pictures (as I am not a firefighter) and that the government response has been ridiculous, but I think jumping to government lasers as the cause is not constructive to preventing future disasters and may even hamper investigations if there was in fact a more conventional arsonist.
      The most troubling thing is almost every conspiracy website eventually blames a new world order which they blame on the Jewish people! I do not know who is behind these conspiracies, but the goal seems to be to gradually fool people until they will believe anything.

  2. Speaking of misinformation, I’m glad you brought that up. A close Jewish friend once mentioned to me how AI-generated pictures of infants playing roles in the Passion play (extremely inappropriate subject matter for that age, but not even the central problem) were misleading people into thinking that real children were involved in this, for better or for worse. She used this as a case study to teach people, including her parents, how to spot misinformation, particularly in the misuse of AI content generation.

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