{"id":699329,"date":"2025-11-15T12:05:11","date_gmt":"2025-11-15T09:05:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-adolescents-can-become-resilient-to-digital-misinformation\/"},"modified":"2025-11-15T12:05:11","modified_gmt":"2025-11-15T09:05:11","slug":"how-adolescents-can-become-resilient-to-digital-misinformation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-adolescents-can-become-resilient-to-digital-misinformation\/","title":{"rendered":"How adolescents can become resilient to digital misinformation"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2310dd17631\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2310dd17631\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-adolescents-can-become-resilient-to-digital-misinformation\/#Resilience_against_digital_misinformation\" >Resilience against digital misinformation<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-adolescents-can-become-resilient-to-digital-misinformation\/#Social_sensitivity_Weakness_or_strength\" >Social sensitivity: Weakness or strength?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-adolescents-can-become-resilient-to-digital-misinformation\/#The_role_of_emotions\" >The role of emotions<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-adolescents-can-become-resilient-to-digital-misinformation\/#Developing_critical_thinking_skills_and_knowledge\" >Developing critical thinking skills and knowledge<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-adolescents-can-become-resilient-to-digital-misinformation\/#Practical_strategies_in_the_fight_against_misinformation\" >Practical strategies in the fight against misinformation<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-adolescents-can-become-resilient-to-digital-misinformation\/#Key_lessons_for_educators_parents_and_policymakers\" >Key lessons for educators, parents, and policymakers<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-adolescents-can-become-resilient-to-digital-misinformation\/#Building_a_trustworthy_digital_culture\" >Building a trustworthy digital culture<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-gallery lightGallery\">\n<div data-thumb=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2021\/social-media.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2021\/social-media.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Credit: Unsplash\/CC0 Public Domain\">\n<figure class=\"article-img\">\n            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800a\/2021\/social-media.jpg\" alt=\"social media\" title=\"Credit: Unsplash\/CC0 Public Domain\" width=\"800\" height=\"529\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-darken text-low-up text-truncate-js text-truncate mt-3\">\n                Credit: Unsplash\/CC0 Public Domain<br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Young people are particularly susceptible to misleading information on <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">social media<\/a>. Yet insights from developmental psychology show that they also have unique strengths to build resilience. In a new perspective paper led by developmental psychologist Ili Ma, scientists, schools, parents and policy makers are given tools to foster resilience.<\/p>\n<p>Adolescents are growing up in a digital world where social media is an integral part of everyday life. They maintain friendships online, follow the <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a> through their feeds and take part in public debates. However, being &#8220;a digital native&#8221; does not automatically mean they are able to recognize or resist misinformation.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Resilience_against_digital_misinformation\"><\/span>Resilience against digital misinformation<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The article, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41562-025-02338-8\" target=\"_blank\">published<\/a> in <i>Nature Human Behaviour<\/i>, shows that adolescence, the transition from childhood to adulthood, is an important phase for understanding how resilience to misinformation develops. The researchers emphasize that the social, emotional and cognitive changes that take place during this period strongly influence how young people process both information and misinformation.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Adolescents use different platforms than adults, follow different types of accounts, and place greater value on the opinions of friends or favorite influencers,&#8221; explains Ma. &#8220;That makes them vulnerable to misinformation, but it also offers opportunities to strengthen their resilience.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Social_sensitivity_Weakness_or_strength\"><\/span>Social sensitivity: Weakness or strength?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Adolescence is a time when identity and belonging are central. Teenagers often look for the experiences and opinions of their peers. Social media readily provides these, especially through videos that spread quickly via likes and followers. However, social media can also distort what seems normal, as sensational, emotional, and extreme content tends to attract more attention. This can make youth more susceptible to misinformation, especially when it comes from peers or influencers they admire.<\/p>\n<p>Yet the same social sensitivity can also be turned into a strength. When truthfulness and accuracy are valued within a peer group, adolescents are likely to encourage one another to handle information more carefully.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_role_of_emotions\"><\/span>The role of emotions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Teenagers tend to respond more strongly to emotional messages than adults do. Misinformation often takes advantage of this by using emotions such as fear, anger or outrage to spread quickly. At the same time, adolescents are more drawn to positive and inspiring content, which can protect them against certain types of fear-based misinformation.<\/p>\n<p>However, this preference may also make them more likely to trust &#8220;positive misinformation,&#8221; for example, motivational wellness trends or seemingly harmless &#8220;life hacks&#8221; that are in fact misleading.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Developing_critical_thinking_skills_and_knowledge\"><\/span>Developing critical thinking skills and knowledge<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Cognitively, adolescence is a period of growth. Teenagers are learning to think critically, weigh evidence and reflect on their own reasoning, skills that are essential for resilience to misinformation.<\/p>\n<p>Because these abilities are still developing, adolescents often rely more on intuition or familiarity, meaning that repeated information can easily <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ear trustworthy. Fortunately, their curiosity and eagerness to learn make them particularly receptive to education that strengthens critical thinking and media literacy.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Practical_strategies_in_the_fight_against_misinformation\"><\/span>Practical strategies in the fight against misinformation<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The research offers several points of action for parents, schools and policymakers who want to help young people deal more effectively with misinformation. By encouraging curiosity and initiative through educational programs, adolescents can learn to explore where information comes from and how algorithms shape their feeds.<\/p>\n<p>Parents also have an important role to play by talking openly about online experiences. When young people are actively involved in creating solutions, their autonomy to contribute to a healthy digital culture grows.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ads w-100 my-4 article-main__more bg-light p-3 border\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<p class=\"mb-3\">\n        Discover the latest in <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/sciencee\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"5\" title=\"Science\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">science<\/a>, tech, and space with over <strong>100,000 subscribers<\/strong> who rely on Phys.org for daily insights.<br \/>\n        Sign up for our <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/sciencex.com\/help\/newsletter\/\" target=\"_blank\">free newsletter<\/a> and get updates on breakthroughs,<br \/>\n        innovations, and research that matter\u2014<strong>daily or weekly<\/strong>.\n    <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Key_lessons_for_educators_parents_and_policymakers\"><\/span>Key lessons for educators, parents, and policymakers<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li>Make education age-appropriate: Many misinformation education programs are designed for adults. For younger audiences, it is crucial to connect with their curiosity and desire for autonomy. Encourage them to explore where information comes from, how algorithms influence their feeds, and why critical thinking pays off.<\/li>\n<li>Give young people a voice: Youth have a desire to contribute positively to society and they are concerned about misinformation. Because adolescents are strongly influenced by peers, interventions that promote positive group norms work best. Think of classroom discussions, peer-led projects or youth ambassador programs that make fact-checking and accuracy socially rewarding.<\/li>\n<li>Teach attention management: Not every misleading post needs to be debunked. Teenagers can learn to manage their attention by ignoring dubious sources and curating their online environment, muting unreliable accounts or setting screen-time boundaries.<\/li>\n<li>Make manipulation visible: Show how misinformation works by demonstrating how emotion, authority or fake expertise are used to persuade. Exercises using realistic examples from online platforms they actually use make these lessons more relatable and effective.<\/li>\n<li>Build trust in journalism, not <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">general<\/a> skepticism: Resilience is not only about doubt; it is also about knowing what is reliable. Helping young people understand how journalism operates, and how it differs from influencer content, can strengthen their confidence in trustworthy sources.<\/li>\n<li>Involve parents actively: Parents can reinforce digital resilience by having open conversations about online experiences, asking curious questions and modeling critical thinking. This works best when parents themselves are digitally literate and non-judgmental in their approach.<\/li>\n<li>Co-create with young people: Effective interventions should reflect the online realities of adolescents. Involving them in the design and testing of educational materials makes them feel heard and co-responsible for shaping a healthier digital culture.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Building_a_trustworthy_digital_culture\"><\/span>Building a trustworthy digital culture<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The researchers stress that protecting young people from misinformation goes beyond correcting false beliefs. It is about fostering critical thinking, empathy and a sense of responsibility in the digital age.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We shouldn&#8217;t see adolescents as passive recipients of information,&#8221; says Ma. &#8220;They play an active role in shaping a reliable digital society. By equipping them with the right knowledge and skills, we strengthen not only their individual resilience but that of society as a whole.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-main__more p-4\">\n<p><strong>More information:<\/strong><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIli Ma et al, Understanding the impact of misinformation on adolescents, <i>Nature Human Behaviour<\/i> (2025). <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-doi=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1038\/s41562-025-02338-8\" target=\"_blank\">DOI: 10.1038\/s41562-025-02338-8<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"d-inline-block text-medium mt-4\">\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tProvided by<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLeiden University<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"icon_open\" href=\"http:\/\/www.leiden.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<use href=\"https:\/\/phys.b-cdn.net\/tmpl\/v6\/img\/svg\/sprite.svg#icon_open\" x=\"0\" y=\"0\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- print only --><\/p>\n<div class=\"d-none d-print-block\">\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<strong>Citation<\/strong>:<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHow adolescents can become resilient to digital misinformation (2025, November 15)<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tretrieved 15 November 2025<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tfrom https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2025-11-adolescents-resilient-digital-misinformation.html\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script id=\"facebook-jssdk\" async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more Like this articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/sciencee\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Science category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2025-11-adolescents-resilient-digital-misinformation.html\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Credit: Unsplash\/CC0 Public Domain Young people are particularly susceptible to misleading information on social media. Yet insights from developmental psychology show that they also have unique strengths to build resilience. In a new perspective paper led by developmental psychologist Ili Ma, scientists, schools, parents and policy makers are given tools to foster resilience. Adolescents are&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":699330,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2021\/social-media.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-699329","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sciencee"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/699329","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=699329"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/699329\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/699330"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=699329"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=699329"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=699329"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}