"Fake news" refers to articles or publications on social networks written with invented, deceptive or distorted information, made public with the deliberate intent to misinform or create scandal through the news media.

The tools to disseminate "fake news" can be various: in the information society they are conveyed by the mass media, that is, television broadcasters and newspapers. However, with the advent of the Internet, especially with the sharing of social media, the spread of fake news has increased.

With so many sources of online information, making sense of which content is based on facts, half-truths or lies has become increasingly difficult. Furthermore, using digital platforms to share things we believe to be true when they may not be can have a powerful ripple effect, influencing others to see them as facts.

This can be particularly dangerous for children and young people who can be persuaded to take distorted world views that could cause harm to them or others in the real world.

Exposure to disinformation can reduce trust in the media more broadly, making it more difficult to know what the facts or fictions are in the future. When we begin to believe that there is a possibility that anything could be false, it is easier to discard what is actually true. This is a real concern about the impact of fake news on our children and young people.

According to the National Literacy Trust Fake News and Critical Literacy Report, more than half of 12-15 year olds access social media as a regular source of news. And while only a third believe that social media stories are true, it is estimated that only 2% of school-age children have the basic critical literacy skills to tell the difference between true and false news.

Do you know anybody who had to face something related to fake news? What do you think you can do to stop this phenomenon?

Please discuss this problem with your team mates here and come up with up to 10 questions for a survey to understand what we can do to fight this phenomenon and raise awareness about it.