Fake news is anything but new. There is false information about almost every subject which can be harmful. Whether it be about the type of shoes you wear to the foods that dogs can eat, false information causes problems every day. Right now, as we are going through a pandemic, false information about the virus can lead to grave effects. We can take steps in order to spot fake information in order to slow the spread and flatten the curve.
Step 1
Check if the news source is a trusted one. Trusted news sources are less likely to contain false information. If you are not sure if a news source is correct, check if other trusted news sources say the same thing. Trusted news sources can also contain false information.
Step 2
Think critically. You are smart. If a story does not sound plausible, think about the possibility of it actually being true. If you read that the corona virus was started by aliens in order to test our ability to contain a virus, think about how plausible that statement sounds.