The Grandmother Problem is the problem of people sharing false information, and having to try and find a way to civilly tell them to be more careful. This problem is something (almost) everyone has come across. I say almost, because someone has to be the one putting out the false information.

Unfortunately, I deal with this issue a lot with my family. We have opposing views, but that is not why I feel like they post more false information than I do. They just happen to come across it more, so they share it.

When these types of things happen, I have to handle it with care. Especially when it comes to my parents. I do not feel it’s best to confront them online. That just brings them unwanted attention. People might start to gang up against them, try and prove them wrong, etc. It can turn messy when doing these sorts of things online.

I see this happen the most on Facebook. What I would do, and have done, is maybe while we were having dinner, I’d bring up the topic with them. Mention how I saw the article they shared the other day. From here, they’ll try and talk about it, get my opinion on it.

This is where things can get tricky. I have to find a way to explain to them, not only was this article false, but that it is wrong to be posting false things. I start off by telling them, “hey just so you know, I double checked that information, and it actually ended up not being true.”

More often than not, they’ll begin to argue with me. So I try and tell them they can think whatever they want, but I need them to understand how important it is to not be spreading false information. If it’s necessary, I’ll even walk them through the process of checking whether or not an article is legit.

They normally begin to understand. It might not be for a few days, and in the meantime, they might share more dubious articles. However, the information I gave them will always be with them. It will always be in the back of their head saying “hey, double check this article,” and so, over time, they being to stop sharing false news.

What to do when family shares fake news and misleading social posts

By now we’ve all been completely mortified by content shared on a loved ones’ page at least once. I am sure that I’ve shared questionable content and caused others this experience as well.

Is it simply the price we pay for the interconnectedness provided to us through social media? Have you ever stopped dead in your scrolling and asked yourself, “Is my Grandma racist?” Do tell. Or maybe that’s just me. But if it is has happened to you, don’t fret. It happens to the best of us and we’ll explore how to approach these mishaps in this post.

I’ll be honest, I was starting to experience these moments far too often and it motivated me to delete my Facebook account three years ago. I failed to realize that my family and friends did not intentionally post false or misleading information on social media. I also lacked the language and tact needed to start conversations about such posts.

Hey, I’ve lived and I’ve learned and I have a few suggestions. So, here goes… This is for the innocent Grandmas out there.

Information travels far and fast. Research shows that false news travels faster than real news. Many people believe that a post is reliable if it has been shared numerous times, or if it has been shared by a popular source who did not read the content thoroughly and/or failed to do their own fact-checking.

Perhaps, your family member didn’t read the title or the post. Maybe they just liked the colors in the image and intended to share that aspect, not realizing that others would click through to the content. It’s also possible that they did read the post and perceive the content to be true and accurate. Most importantly, we all have biases and are more likely to share content that aligns with those biases.

That’s why digital media literacy for the whole family, including Grandma, is so important. Brain Pop offers excellent digital citizenship resources on media literacy, source reliability, digital etiquette, and cyberbullying. If Brain Pop doesn’t have what you’re looking for, find more media literacy sources HERE.

We can use resources like these to start conversations about responsible sharing. While you may have a specific post in mind, you don’t have to bring it up. Instead, watch a few videos about media literacy, and discuss what it means over family dinner.

Let your friends and family members process the information and hope that it will lead to more responsible sharing in the future.

If you’re not the passive-aggressive type, then just remember to be civil. It’s not what you say; it’s how you say it. Ask questions. Invite them to read posts from people with different perspectives on the same topic (not just your perspective).

Finally, remember that your relationship exists outside of social media. According to Psychology Today, people are feeling lonelier than ever, thanks to social media, and smartphones have diminished our face-to-face interactions. If you need to talk to a friend or family member about a false or misleading post try doing it in person.

Hey friends,

We all know that social media has become a dominant part of today’s society, right? I mean, its absolutely enveloped our entire nation and world. With so many users around the world on all the different social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Snapchat to name a few, its no wonder that there is new information being spread at every second of every day. A lot of that information however, is not always true. With the mass amounts of information being tweeted, shared, and storied constantly, the content being discussed is without a doubt going to get twisted and may become misleading. Social media is like the largest game of telephone ever being played and that never ends. Because there is so much false information being shared in society today, being able to distinguish between false or true content has become an important skill to learn. However, what should be held at an even higher level importance is that of not spreading false or misleading information on social media.

I’ve learned a lot about fake news and what that entails during my studies in Digital Audiences at ASU. I’ve also learned how much misinformation (inaccurate information) and disinformation (purposefully spreading or initiating false information) can hurt people. As information is being so quickly spread these days, with comments being added and memes being made, the journalists who developed the original story looses “control of the reception of their work” and what is being said about it according to Joan Donovan of Harvard. This leads into a spiral of misinformation as people break down what was said and interpret things in different ways. Ultimately, somebody has to take accountability for the information that was discussed, and this can lead to bullying or harassment via social media. Many times, the information that is being spread is not the problem, but the amplification of said content. That is why it is important to always be aware of the information that one is following and reposting – because the louder the story gets, the more important the content becomes.

What messages need to be spread in society today? Messages about love, acceptance, and truth. Instead, we are surround by judgement, hate, and lashing out. With every retweet and meme we share on social media, it is important to be true and positive because our reach is wider than we think.

As someone who is a devoted lover to online social media platforms and other online communities, I see a lot of content being shared, posted, retweeted and reposted. Whether this information being shared is correct or untrue I still see it everywhere. Most often than not the most untrue information I see being shared is on Facebook. “More than half of online adults in the U.S. aged 65 or over are now using Facebook,” we learn from Shea Bennett. We also learn that this is very much greater than to the “10 percent of seniors who are using Twitter”. This often is called the “the grandmother problem”, which is that the majority of false online information being shared is by older people who are more unfamiliar with the online space.

Knowing that this information is false, and more often than not shared by a family member or someone you care about, how do we approach this problem? “Experts agree that being non-confrontational is key,” according to Craig Silverman from Buzzfeed. Being as empathic and respectful as possible is the way to go. Most times when false or fabricated information is shared, they aren’t always aware that the information is false, outdated, or untrue. Confronting these people about what they shared from a point of empathy in non-public way and encouraging them to do more research and find out the facts for themselves is the best way to help combat this issue. Daniel Kent founded Net Literacy, which is an organization to help senior citizens gain basic internet skills and be more confident about getting online. “I think it’s fundamentally about treating [older people] with concern and respect. Recognizing that perhaps they had the best of intentions, but the execution on their part perhaps wasn’t the most, the most thoughtful and mindful,” he said.

Also taking into account that everyone is human and makes mistakes. As the Internet and online space is growing and evolving so much every day, staying updated on new technology and techniques isn’t always easy, especially for older people. Looking in the mirror and seeing that you yourself also makes mistakes and have shared untrue information without realizing the implications and repercussions this can cause.

With social media engraved as a part of most peoples every day lives, we see that these social platforms serve different functions for different users. There are those family and friends who haven’t really picked up on the whole “social” aspect of social media and simply snoop or lurk in the distance with their accounts. On the opposite side of the spectrum we encounter those family members or friends who seem to share too much or share content that is simply not truth.

On our pursuit to become digitally literate, the ladder social media sharing personality stands out. As we become more digitally literate, our responsibility to educate others is magnified. How do you deal with a friend or family member that is constantly sharing false information online? Can we educate in a manner that promotes awareness rather than detour unaware excessive misinformation sharers?

We find some excellent guidelines on the best approach to educating such types of social media sharers in an article presented in module five. Titled What To Do If Older People In Your Life Are Sharing False Or Extreme Content, BuzzFeed News staff writer Craig Silverman gives a road map on this educating process.  Silverman opens up by explaining that “The challenge is to handle the situation in a way that works and doesn’t fray intergenerational relationships.”

There should be special attention paid to the fact that with different generations come different perspectives. Silverman also suggests that we should begin the process by being non confrontational. This stance will be most productive to facilitating meaningful discussion and hopefully enlightenment. The article gives a great suggestion of “helping to provide context.” Many times people share not knowing the context of the content they are sharing. Helping friends or family members see the big picture can open that users eyes to look deeper into content before sharing it.

Another suggestion we can leave to those in our life sharing false or extreme content is to fact check before sharing. In the article Silverman suggest the simple tactic of getting friends or family members to “Google News It.” Seeing the article from other perspectives and seeing what others have to say on the content can often shed light on incredibility.

In summary, when dealing with friends or family that may share false or extreme content, it is important to start the discussion in a non confrontational manner. The reality is that many generations have different levels of media literacy. As we ourselves become more and more media literate, it is our duty to share that knowledge and promote media literacy within our own circles and beyond.

Francisco Healy

Common Sense Media

Common Sense Media is a non-profit organization that provides technology and entertainment recommendations for parents and schools. My husband and I frequently use this site to determine if movies are appropriate for our children. Thus far, their reviews have not failed us. Read their post, What is media literacy, and why is it important?

Common Sense Media provides tools for parents, educators, and advocates as well as age-appropriate content for young people to learn more about media literacy. Visitors can explore questions by age group (preschoolers, little kids, big kids, tweens, and teens) which is a great resource for parents to teach their children about media literacy.

“Common Sense is the nation’s leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in the 21st century.”

Consuming Kids: The Commercialization of Childhood (2008)

Consuming Kids is a documentary that highlights how children are primed for consumption from birth. I think it is a great tool for media literacy because it shows how the technology our children regularly interact with is used by marketers/advertisers to sway them. You can view the trailer below, and the full documentary is available HERE. This is a documentary I have viewed several times… before I birthed my first son in 2008 and also with my children over the years.

Consuming Kids throws desperately needed light on the practices of a relentless multi-billion dollar marketing machine that now sells kids and their parents everything from junk food and violent video games to bogus educational products and the family car. Drawing on the insights of health care professionals, children’s advocates, and industry insiders, the film focuses on the explosive growth of child marketing in the wake of deregulation, showing how youth marketers have used the latest advances in psychology, anthropology, and neuroscience to transform American children into one of the most powerful and profitable consumer demographics in the world. – The Media Education Foundation

Making Sense of the News: News Literacy Lessons for Digital Citizens via Coursera

This free six-week course is offered by the University of Hong Kong and the University of New York on Coursera. It is taught by qualified professors and staff from both universities. Participants have the opportunity to pay extra for a certificate of completion and assignment feedback. The course has a 4.8 rating with a number of promising reviews.

Never before has the need for News Literacy been more urgent. As news consumers are bombarded with a constant stream of fake news, propaganda, hoaxes, rumors, satire, and advertising — that often masquerade as credible journalism — it is becoming more and more difficult to distinguish fact from fiction. While the public’s faith in the news media erodes, purveyors of misinformation have helped give rise to troubling cultural trends and alarming political movements.

Brain Pop’s Digital Citizen Media Literacy Curriculum

Yes! I am so happy to have found Brain Pop’s Media Literacy tools. I spent about 30-minutes browsing their free resources and I cannot wait to go through this with my children. Educators can play informational videos, create quizzes, and use games to test skills. There are a number of topics to browse including a food section that explores marketing tactics used to sell food and lesson ideas for various age groups.

This week’s blog features a roundup of media relating to financial literacy for minorities followed by a brief summary of how my media intake has changed since this post. Forgive me as this post won’t feature my best work due to a family emergency that, ironically, caused a huge financial setback for our household this week.

Maybe it’s TMI, but we drained our savings, maxed out credit cards, and put liens on the only property we own in one day and we have a journey ahead of us from here. I am thankful because the work we have done to increase our financial literacy made it possible for us to help ourselves. This is a huge setback. Murphy, as Dave Ramsey calls it, came to visit but at least we know what to do from here.

I hope that you enjoy exploring…

When: February 14^th, 2020

What: Single, Taken, or $aving?

Who: Minority Mindset

This article is short and sweet (Valentine’s Day pun intended). It lists quick facts about the history of the holiday and how it affects your wallet whether you chose to celebrate, or not. It ends with a reference to consumerism and a link to the following video:

When: February 12^th, 2020

What: Retirement Plan: Raise Kids?

Who: Minority Mindset

This article highlights the fact that few people are actually prepared for retirement and more retired adults are relying on their children as a backup plan. Check this out if you want to know your odds and explore “modern” retirement ideas.

When: February 12^th, 2020

What: Govt. must adopt financial literacy in educational curriculum – AFLO

Who: News Ghana

The Alliance of Financial Literacy Organisation (AFLO) is calling for the government of Ghana to establish financial literacy programs in their education systems noting the potential impact on micro and macroeconomics. Ghana is not the only African country considering the importance of teaching young people financial literacy.

Click here to see how Grow with Data Youth Foundation is teaching financial literacy in Nigeria! The video was published recently. In fact, at the time of this writing, it only has a few views.

And I found more on this topic…

When: February 12^th, 2020

What: Derek Minor Founds Black Financial Literacy Campaign ‘We Own Now’ [INTERVIEW]

Who: Rapzilla

This was an exciting find because it’s what I hope for from news media on my topic. The “interview” kind of feels like an advertisement for weownnow.com and the publisher is not the most reputable source of financial news. However, the article provides insight and inspires thought. It’s educational, but it also provides action items for the people it refers to– in this case, African-Americans.

When: February 10^th, 2020

What: Examining the legacy of slavery in America

Who: The New York Times

I received this via email. It is a letter from New York Times correspondent Nikole Hannah-Jones, creator of The 1619 Project, inviting readers to explore her creation, the work of her life. She thanks The New York Times for supporting real journalism and giving her work a platform when many other outlets would not. I have not had the opportunity to explore the project in its entirety, but this absolutely pertains to financial literacy in minority communities – the colonization of America and slavery built the framework of financial inequality and ignorance.

How has my media intake changed?

Throughout this course, I have made a point to follow or subscribe to outlets that will expand and challenge what I know. So, I am getting more of my news from my email inbox than ever before. I have the Washington Post’s SOTU fact-checker article saved in my email but have not had time to read it. This week, I did not watch television or stream Hulu/Netflix. And I, gulp, liked an Instagram post from Ivanka Trump because I agreed with the message in that post. This was a huge step for me as I usually lack the ability to view anything the Trump family does objectively.