The results of a 2024 survey on news consumption among children aged 12 to 15 years old in the United Kingdom revealed that 35 percent of all respondents said that they would tell their parents or another family member if they encountered deliberately untrue or misleading news online or on social media. Informing parents or relatives was therefore the most popular potential action children would take, however the same share said they would probably not do anything or would ignore any false information they found.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the differences in responses from 12-year-olds compared to 15-year-olds were often stark, with the former group being more likely to tell a teacher, whilst the latter were the most inclined to ignore false information or to report it to the website or platform concerned.
Most likely actions children would take when encountering inaccurate news online or on social media in the United Kingdom (UK) as of March 2024, by age group
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Ofcom. (May 22, 2024). Most likely actions children would take when encountering inaccurate news online or on social media in the United Kingdom (UK) as of March 2024, by age group [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 21, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1268657/children-and-inaccurate-news-united-kingdom-uk/
Ofcom. "Most likely actions children would take when encountering inaccurate news online or on social media in the United Kingdom (UK) as of March 2024, by age group." Chart. May 22, 2024. Statista. Accessed December 21, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1268657/children-and-inaccurate-news-united-kingdom-uk/
Ofcom. (2024). Most likely actions children would take when encountering inaccurate news online or on social media in the United Kingdom (UK) as of March 2024, by age group. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 21, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1268657/children-and-inaccurate-news-united-kingdom-uk/
Ofcom. "Most Likely Actions Children Would Take When Encountering Inaccurate News Online or on Social Media in The United Kingdom (Uk) as of March 2024, by Age Group." Statista, Statista Inc., 22 May 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1268657/children-and-inaccurate-news-united-kingdom-uk/
Ofcom, Most likely actions children would take when encountering inaccurate news online or on social media in the United Kingdom (UK) as of March 2024, by age group Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1268657/children-and-inaccurate-news-united-kingdom-uk/ (last visited December 21, 2024)
Most likely actions children would take when encountering inaccurate news online or on social media in the United Kingdom (UK) as of March 2024, by age group [Graph], Ofcom, May 22, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1268657/children-and-inaccurate-news-united-kingdom-uk/
