Teaching Kids to Question What They Read Online

I remember the day my nephew in Lagos came home buzzing about a WhatsApp forward. 'Uncle, see this! A pastor says if you pray with this oil at midnight, you'll get millions from an overseas account.' He was 12, eyes wide with excitement, already planning to share it with his classmates. In Nigeria, where WhatsApp groups light up with every rumour from 'herbal cures' for everything to election rigging stories, kids are swimming in a sea of unverified info. That moment hit me: we can't just tell them to 'be careful' - we have to teach them to question.

The Digital Flood Kids Face Today

Kids today don't just read books or newspapers; their world is TikTok scrolls, Instagram Reels, and endless Twitter threads. In a place like Nigeria, where mobile data is cheap and smartphones are everywhere - even in secondary schools in Abuja or village JSS classes - misinformation spreads faster than harmattan dust. Think about the 2023 elections: fake videos of politicians doing juju rituals went viral, fooling even adults. For kids, it's worse. They lack the life experience to spot tricks, so they take everything at face value. A study from our own Nigerian Communications Commission showed millions of fake news shares during that period, many by under-18s. Teaching them to question isn't optional; it's survival in the info age.

But here's the thing: it's not about turning them into cynics who distrust everything. That backfires - kids might ignore real warnings, like genuine health alerts from NCDC. Instead, we build healthy doubt, the kind that sparks curiosity. My nephew's story turned into our first lesson: we didn't dismiss the message; we dissected it together.

Building the Questioning Habit at Home

Start simple, during family time. Next time your child shares something wild - maybe a claim that drinking garri cures diabetes or that Davido gave out cars to followers - pause and ask together: 'Who made this? What's their name? Why would they say this?' In my nephew's case, the 'pastor' had no profile pic, just a generic one from Google. No church link, no verifiable testimony. We Googled it, found similar scams in Kenya and Ghana. Boom - lesson learned without preaching.

Make it a game. We call it 'Fact Hunt' at home. Kid shows a post, you time them to find three clues: source, date, proof. Reward with small treats like puff-puff. It works because kids love winning, and soon they're doing it without prompts. I saw it with my sister's daughter in Port Harcourt; she started fact-checking her mum's forwards, flipping the script.

Bringing It to Schools and Communities

Teachers in Nigeria have a huge role, but overcrowded classes make it tough. Yet, some innovative ones in Enugu are weaving it into English or Civic Education. Instead of rote learning, they use group debates on viral stories: 'Is this Fuji musician really dead, or is it a hoax?' Kids research on shared devices, present findings. Principals tell me attendance spikes because it's fun, not drudgery.

Parents, link up with PTAs. In my estate in Ikeja, we started a WhatsApp group for verified kid-friendly news. Share articles from Premium Times or Channels TV kids' sections, discuss over neighbourhood barbecues. It builds community trust, showing kids questioning isn't solo - it's Naija style, collective wisdom.

Spotting Tricks: The Red Flags Kids Can Learn

Deepfakes and AI images are rising; that video of Tinubu dancing oddly? Probably edited. Teach visual checks: wonky hands, unnatural backgrounds. Emotional hooks are big too - fear sells. 'Buhari's ghost haunting Aso Rock!' triggers shares before thought. Ask: 'How does this make you feel? Why might someone want that?'

Sources matter. Anyone can post, but check bylines, cross-reference with BBC Pidgin or Al Jazeera. Nigerian fact-checkers like Dubawa are gold - bookmark them. My nephew now laughs at old forwards, saying 'Aunty Dubawa don debunk am!'

One pitfall: overdoing it. If every chat becomes an interrogation, kids tune out. Balance with trust-building. Share your own mistakes, like when I fell for a fake Jiji deal years back, losing airtime. Vulnerability makes it real.

Challenges in Our Context

Data costs and spotty internet frustrate verification. In rural areas, kids rely on radio or elders, blending online myths with folklore. Bridge it with offline tools: print fact-check cheat sheets for school bags. Parental controls help, but don't shield completely - questioning thrives on exposure.

Generational gaps exist too. Many parents grew up with NTA news as gospel; now, they forward uncleared stuff. Model it first. I had to apologize to my nephew after sharing unverified fuel price hikes - he called me out, proud as punch.

Actionable Steps to Get Started

Tonight, sit with your kids over dinner. Pull up a recent viral post - maybe that 'miracle soap' ad sweeping Facebook. Question it step-by-step: source? Evidence? Alternatives? Do it weekly.

Enroll in free online courses like those from News Literacy Project, adapted for Naija via YouTube. Apps like FactCheck Naija make it mobile-friendly.

Talk to teachers; suggest one 'Question Day' per term. Track progress: have kids journal one debunked story monthly.

Finally, celebrate wins. When your child spots a scam group chat, high-five. This skill lasts - into university debates, job hunts, even voting wisely.

In Nigeria's noisy digital space, questioning isn't rebellion; it's power. My nephew's now the family fact-checker, and that's the legacy we need.