Pause before you share
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What you will learn
By the end, you can explain how a rumour doubles as it spreads, and use three steps before you share anything.
Yuki gets a message: "The school trip is cancelled! Pass it on!" Her thumb is on Share. Then she counts. If she sends it to 2 friends, and each sends it to 2 more, in four steps 16 people believe something nobody has checked.
Read the explanation
A rumour is a story that spreads before anyone checks it. Misinformation is false information passed on, often by people who believe it. Each share doubles the audience: 1 becomes 2, 2 becomes 4, 4 becomes 8. Ten rounds reach more than a thousand people. Spreading makes a story louder, not truer.
- Pause: a strong feeling (excited, worried, annoyed) is a signal to slow down.
- Check: who said it first, and does a trusted source agree?
- Decide: share, ask an adult, or let it stop with you.