Before You Share: Four Questions · Hat Yai Community School Fact-Checking Club

1. Who made this? Look for the original source. A message without a name, date or link be treated with caution.

2. What is the evidence? Personal stories can be moving, but they are not the same as proof. Ask whether experts or reliable organisations the same claim.

3. Is it the full picture? Photos and videos are often real, they may have been taken at a different time or place. A reverse image search can show an image first appeared online.

4. How does it make me feel? False stories often spread because they make us angry, afraid or excited. If a message makes you want to share it immediately, is exactly the moment to stop and check.

Correcting others is not about winning an argument. Be polite, share a reliable source, and remember that anyone can be fooled. The goal is not to make people feel foolish to keep our community well informed. After all, we are all for what we choose to share.

My Uncle, the Lime Water and Me · by Pin Kanjana, Grade 10

Last month, my uncle sent our family a message claiming that hot water with lime could cure diabetes. My mother asked me it was true. I was almost sure it was not, but I did not know how to tell my uncle without hurting his feelings.

At our fact-checking club, our teacher reminded us that people rarely share false information purpose. Usually they share it because they care. My uncle did not want to trick anyone; he wanted to protect us. I spoke to him, I began by thanking him for caring.

Then I explained the difference between a story and evidence. His friend’s sister may truly feel better, but one person’s experience cannot show that a drink cures a serious disease. Doctors have studied such claims carefully, and they have found no proof. The real danger, I told him, in stopping proper medicine.

I expected him to be angry. , he thanked me and promised to check messages before forwarding them. A week later, he sent me a screenshot of a fake news story he had himself.

I have learned that fact-checking is not only a technical skill. It also patience and respect. If we make people feel stupid, they stop listening. If we listen first, they are more likely to us.

Don’t Get Fooled! A Free Workshop for Seniors

Learn how to spot fake news, false health claims and scam messages on your phone.

When: Saturday 8 March, 9:30–11:30
Where: Hat Yai Community Centre, Room 2 (ground floor, wheelchair access)
Led by: Students of the Hat Yai Community School Fact-Checking Club

What you will learn: How to find out where a photo came from · How to check a health claim · How to recognise a scam message · How to talk to family members about false information

Please bring your own smartphone, fully charged. Reading glasses are recommended. Tea and snacks will be provided.

Places are limited to 30 participants. To register, call Kru Somsak at the school office or sign up at the community centre’s front desk before 5 March. Grandchildren are welcome to attend with their grandparents.

Why Lies Travel Faster Than Truth

In 2018, researchers at a university in the United States published one of the largest studies ever made of how news spreads online. They examined more than 100,000 stories shared on a major social media platform over a period of eleven years. Each story had been checked by independent fact-checking organisations.

The results were striking. False stories reached more people, and reached them faster, than true ones. On average, a false story was about 70 per cent more likely to be shared than a true one. The difference was strongest for false political news.

Many people assume that automated accounts, or “bots”, are mainly responsible for spreading false information. However, the researchers found that bots spread true and false stories at roughly the same rate. The difference came from human users.

Why would people share false stories more readily? The researchers suggested two reasons. First, false stories tend to be more novel: they tell us something surprising that we have not heard before, and people enjoy being the first to share new information. Second, false stories more often produce strong emotions such as surprise, fear and disgust.

The findings suggest that technology alone cannot solve the problem. If people are the main reason that false information spreads, then people must also be part of the solution. Teaching citizens to pause and check before sharing may be one of the most effective defences a society has.

A message from Uncle Chai to the family group

Dear family,

Many of you know that last month I shared a message saying that hot water with lime could cure diabetes. I want to say sorry. It was not true, and some of you might have believed it because it came from me.

My niece Pin, who is in her school’s fact-checking club, explained to me why the message was wrong. She did it so politely that I did not feel embarrassed, only grateful. She also taught me how to check a photo and how to look for the original source of a story.

Since then, I have checked every message before forwarding it. In the past month I have found four that were false, including a video about a “miracle” rice that was actually filmed in another country. I deleted all of them.

I am not a young man, and technology does not come easily to me. But I have realised that sharing is a kind of responsibility. When we forward a message to people we love, we are telling them, “I believe this.” That should mean something.

So here is my suggestion for our family group: before anyone shares health advice, let’s ask Pin or check a hospital website first. I am happy to be the first to follow this rule.

With love,
Uncle Chai