Young people are particularly susceptible to misleading information on social media. Yet insights from developmental psychology show that they also have unique strengths to build resilience. In new research led by developmental psychologist Ili Ma, scientists, schools, parents and policy makers are given tools to foster resilience.
Adolescents are growing up in a digital world where social media is an integral part of everyday life. They maintain friendships online, follow the news through their feeds and take part in public debates. However, being "a digital native" does not automatically mean they are able to recognize or resist misinformation.
Resilience against digital misinformation
New research, led by Ili Ma and published in Nature Human Behaviour, shows that adolescence, the transition from childhood to adulthood, is an important phase for understanding how resilience to misinformation develops. The researchers emphasise that the social, emotional and cognitive changes that take place during this period strongly influence how young people process both information and misinformation.
'Adolescents use different platforms than adults, follow different types of accounts, and place greater value on the opinions of friends or favourite influencers,' explains Ma. 'That makes them vulnerable to misinformation, but it also offers opportunities to strengthen their resilience.'
Social sensitivity: weakness or strength?
Adolescence is a time when identity and belonging are central. Teenagers often look for the experiences and opinions of their peers. Social media readily provides these, especially through videos that spread quickly via likes and followers. However, social media can also distort what seems normal, as sensational, emotional, and extreme content tends to attract more attention. This can make youth more susceptible misinformation, especially when it comes from peers or influencers they admire.
Yet the same social sensitivity can also be turned into a strength. When truthfulness and accuracy are valued within a peer group, adolescents are likely to encourage one another to handle information more carefully.
The role of emotions
Teenagers tend to respond more strongly to emotional messages than adults do. Misinformation often takes advantage of this by using emotions such as fear, anger or outrage to spread quickly. At the same time, adolescents are more drawn to positive and inspiring content, which can protect them against certain types of fear-based misinformation. However, this preference may also make them more likely to trust "positive misinformation", for example motivational wellness trends or seemingly harmless "life hacks" that are in fact misleading.
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Developing critical thinking skills and knowledge
Cognitively, adolescence is a period of growth. Teenagers are learning to think critically, weigh evidence and reflect on their own reasoning, skills that are essential for resilience to misinformation. Because these abilities are still developing, adolescents often rely more on intuition or familiarity, meaning that repeated information can easily appear trustworthy. Fortunately, their curiosity and eagerness to learn make them particularly receptive to education that strengthens critical thinking and media literacy.
Practical strategies in the fight against misinformation
The research offers several points of action for parents, schools and policymakers who want to help young people deal more effectively with misinformation. By encouraging curiosity and initiative through educational programmes, adolescents can learn to explore where information comes from and how algorithms shape their feeds. Parents also have an important role to play by talking openly about online experiences. When young people are actively involved in creating solutions, their autonomie to contribute to a healthy digital culture grows.
Key lessons for educators, parents, and policymakers
- Make education age-appropriate
Many misinformation education programmes are designed for adults. For younger audiences, it is crucial to connect with their curiosity and desire for autonomy. Encourage them to explore where information comes from, how algorithms influence their feeds, and why critical thinking pays off.
- Give young people a voice
Youth have a desire to contribute positively to society and they are concerned about misinformation. Because adolescents are strongly influenced by peers, interventions that promote positive group norms work best. Think of classroom discussions, peer-led projects or youth ambassador programmes that make fact-checking and accuracy socially rewarding.
- Teach attention management
Not every misleading post needs to be debunked. Teenagers can learn to manage their attention by ignoring dubious sources and curating their online environment, muting unreliable accounts or setting screen-time boundaries.
- Make manipulation visible
Show how misinformation works by demonstrating how emotion, authority or fake expertise are used to persuade. Exercises using realistic examples from online platforms they actually use make these lessons more relatable and effective.
- Build trust in journalism, not general scepticism
Resilience is not only about doubt; it is also about knowing what is reliable. Helping young people understand how journalism operates, and how it differs from influencer content, can strengthen their confidence in trustworthy sources.
- Involve parents actively
Parents can reinforce digital resilience by having open conversations about online experiences, asking curious questions and modelling critical thinking. This works best when parents themselves are digitally literate and non-judgemental in their approach.
- Co-create with young people
Effective interventions should reflect the online realities of adolescents. Involving them in the design and testing of educational materials makes them feel heard and c0o-responsible for shaping a healthier digital culture.
Building a trustworthy digital culture
The researchers stress that protecting young people from misinformation goes beyond correcting false beliefs. It is about fostering critical thinking, empathy and a sense of responsibility in the digital age.
'We shouldn't see adolescents as passive recipients of information,' says Ma. 'They play an active role in shaping a reliable digital society. By equipping them with the right knowledge and skills, we strengthen not only their individual resilience but that of society as a whole.'
