I read online this morning that the war in Ukraine might not be real. Thankfully each instance of 'evidence' supporting this view was easily debunked. But still, the fakery was there.

Now, more than ever, we and our children must be alert for lies and discerning about information. It's easy to short circuit thinking if the story is emotive, compelling, resonant so here's a way to preserve a rational response: STAMP Thinking.

Before accepting information as 'true', ask five questions:

• Source: Where has the information come from? Has it been filtered or changed?
• Trust: Do you trust the source? Is there existing evidence of honesty and accuracy?
• Audience: Who is the intended audience? Are you part of that audience or an accidental reader?
• Meaning: What does the information actually mean? What will be understood by it?
• Purpose: What is the purpose of providing the information to the audience? What does the source intend?

Think STAMP in that short moment of opportunity between experiencing the information and assimilating it. Teach your children to do the same.

And here's the article mentioned above.