Program for Senior Citizens Teaches Them How to Spot Fake News

Not a bad idea, since it's an election year. Would be great to do this in Michigan.

A senior center in Maryland has launched a program that is helping older adults navigate through the digital world and spot fake news.

Recent studies show that adults over the age of 65 post seven times more fake news articles than adults under 29.

An assistant professor who launched one of the studies told NPR that "people who are not digital natives didn't grow up online, having a sort of a natural relationship to using computers and the Internet. They are simply more susceptible to the kinds of online content that happened to be weaponized in that particular election. If it turns out this is the big part of the explanation, digital literacy is something that can be taught and it's a skill that can be developed."

The study says that isolation is a big (and sad) factor when it comes to older adults sharing fake news stories. They're just surfing the net and sharing whatever they see.

The program in Maryland teaches older adults how to spot fake news that is broken into three catefories: propaganda, deep fakes and sponsored content.

What do you think of this? I think it's a GREAT idea.