MISINFORMATION AND DISINFORMATION

There are lots of different kinds of content on social media, but not everything we see is true and reliable. It is great that we can share memes, videos and articles quickly and easily – but this means that misinformation and disinformation can spread rapidly in online spaces.

What are misinformation and disinformation? Misinformation is false information sometimes spread accidentally. Disinformation is false information put out deliberately to mislead people.

Together we can stop the spread of misinformation by following the steps Pause. Question. Confirm. – learn more about this here!

But what can you do once you’ve confirmed that the content is misinformation?

It’s up to us – the users – to be responsible for what we spread through sharing, reposting and commenting. 

But social media platforms are also responsible for removing misinformation and disinformation.

By reporting something that might be misinformation or disinformation, you are giving the social media platform the chance to fact-check the content and remove anything that shouldn’t be on the platform. Scroll down to learn more about reporting content!

HOW TO REPORT & BLOCK PROFILES

If you are experiencing hate speech or targeted harassment online, or see something that might be misinformation, remember that each social media channel has their own reporting function.

Reporting might not always lead to an account being removed straight away, but it is a good first step to deal with harmful content online.

You can also block specific users you’d rather not hear from anymore.

If you would like to know more about how reporting works on each social media channel, click the links below for more information.  

HOW TO BLOCK CERTAIN CONTENTS / KEYWORDS

There are also steps you can take to filter out the nasty stuff, so you don’t have to see it in the first place. 

Click the links below for more information.  

There are tons of other useful things to know about protecting yourself online, looking after your mental health, and making your social media experience more positive overall. Click below to explore some resources.