Educators talk a lot about teaching students to think critically online. But the uncomfortable truth is that some of the biggest offenders spreading misinformation right now are not kids. It is adults. And our students are watching.
Scroll any feed and you will see grownups confidently sharing posts that collapse under the slightest scrutiny. A fake Donald Trump post. A fabricated Jason Kelce quote about Bad Bunny. Misinformation about vaccines, shared without any supporting evidence or credible medical source.
Posts that seem plausible spread quickly, even when the speaker lacks expertise or the information lacks context. Different examples, same problem. People are sharing information without asking the most basic question: Where did this come from?
If you bother to share, you should bother to cite and check the source. That is the baseline skill we should all expect.
The SIFT Method: A Simple Framework Adults Need Just as Much as Students
Common Sense Media breaks media verification into four steps using the SIFT method, a routine that asks readers to Stop, Investigate the source, Find better coverage, and Trace claims to their original context. Schools that teach SIFT give students a reliable routine for evaluating information.
Stop
Pause before reacting or sharing. Do not rely solely on whether something feels surprising, emotional, or too perfect. Misinformation now spreads because it feels plausible and aligns with existing beliefs. The Jason Kelce and Donald Trump examples seemed realistic enough to pass a quick glance. That is why it is essential to stop and reflect.
Investigate the source
Check who created the content. Are they credible? Do they have expertise in the topic? A simple guide to analyzing media can help surface foundational questions such as who is the author and what is their purpose.
Find better coverage
Look for the source behind the screenshot. Screenshots are easy to fabricate and often circulate detached from context. Check if reputable outlets or official sources have covered the claim. If the only place reporting a sensational story is a meme page or an unverified screenshot, that is a red flag.
Trace claims to the original context
Go back to the primary source. Screenshots are not sources. It is easy to generate fake or altered images that circulate widely without context. Posts without links are invitations to misinformation. If a link is provided, follow it and read beyond the headline.
The power of SIFT is that it is practical. Not academic. Not overwhelming. Just a quick, efficient way to keep bad information from spreading.
Adults Are Modeling the Wrong Habits
In districts where media literacy is part of the curriculum, students are more likely to have sharper instincts for spotting manipulated content than adults. They understand how easy it is to generate fabricated content and stage authenticity. They also recognize how repost culture strips away context.
The skills students are learning today should not stay in the classroom. Adults would benefit from the same instruction and should be open to learning from a generation raised with media literacy as a necessary skill.
Teach What Responsible Sharing Looks Like
Here is a simple rule worth adding to every classroom, staff meeting, and parent workshop:
If you share something, you should also share the source.
- No source, no credibility.
- No link, no trust.
- No verification, no repost.
As educators and leaders, we can model this. When someone shares a claim, ask them where they got it. When students catch something questionable, encourage them to walk through SIFT aloud. When adults fall for viral misinformation, treat it as a teachable moment, not a shame exercise.
The message is simple: Responsible citizens verify before they amplify.
A Path Forward
Misinformation today moves faster than ever. The answer is not fear. It is skill building.
SIFT is not just a classroom routine. It is a life skill. A civic skill. A family skill.
If adults want young people to navigate information responsibly, they must model those habits themselves. And if adults never learned these skills, they can start now.
Schools can teach SIFT in advisory, ELA, technology social studies, or really any classroom, and share the same guides with families through newsletters, school apps, or parent workshops so adults can build the skill on their own.
That is media literacy in action.
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