2026-08-18

Promote Digital Literacy

The digital world can bring a vast amount of information right to your teen’s phone or computer screen. Unfortunately, some of that information is junk. That's why evaluating online sources is one of the most vital thinking skills students can learn.

Share these tips with your teen for figuring out whether an online source is credible:

• Ask questions. When reading anything online, your teen should consider credibility. Is the purpose of the website to sell products or opinions? Where do its “facts” come from?
• Check out other sources. Your teen should use a search engine to find other sources on the same topic. Comparing two or three sources side by side can help students see the limitations of each.
• Be careful of AI created answers above search results. These are only as good as their sources, which may not be reliable.
• Be aware of advertising strategies. Many search engines allow “pay for play.” In other words, sites can pay to have their site pop up first. Just because a website is first in a results list doesn't mean it is the best. Your teen should also look carefully on the site itself for sidebars or other sections labeled as sponsored material or advertising.
• Be wary of health information. Many sites are in business to sell products. Your teen should check out any online medical information with your family doctor before trying any recommendations.
• Teach your teen that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.

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