Welcome to Your Defense Training!
In today's digital world, misinformation spreads faster than ever before. This interactive course will equip you with science-based skills to recognize, verify, and combat false information.
What you'll learn:
✓ Recognize manipulation tactics at a glance
✓ Verify claims quickly and effectively
✓ Debunk myths without spreading them further
✓ Build immunity through prebunking
✓ Navigate AI-generated misinformation
🚨 5-Second Red-Flag Scan
- • Big emotion? (fear/anger/shock headline) → Pause
- • Missing info? (no author, no date, no source) → Pause
- • Weird web address? (spoofed domains, odd endings) → Pause
- • Screenshot of text instead of a link? → Pause
- • "Too perfect" language, over-polished tone? → Double-check
Rule of thumb: If you hit 2+ red flags, don't share until you've verified.
Pre-Test: Test Your Current Skills
For each headline, select whether it's Likely True or Likely False. Don't worry about getting them all right - this helps us measure your learning!
Module 1: Information Disorders
Introduction
Not all false information is created equal. Sometimes people share falsehoods by mistake. Sometimes it's deliberate. And sometimes, true information is used in harmful ways.
Core Concepts with Examples
🔍 Misinformation: False info shared without intent to harm
Real Example: Your aunt shares a post saying "Drinking warm water kills COVID-19 virus" because she genuinely believes it will help.
Why it spreads: People want to help others and share "helpful" tips without verifying.
The harm: People might rely on false remedies instead of proven measures.
🎯 Disinformation: False info created/shared with intent to deceive
Real Example: A political group creates a fake video showing their opponent saying something they never said.
Key signs: Professional production, strategic timing, benefits specific group.
⚠️ Malinformation: True info used out of context
Real Example: Someone shares a real photo from 2015 claiming it's from yesterday's protest.
The trick: The information is technically "true" but weaponized or miscontextualized.
💭 Reflection
Think about a time you shared information that turned out to be false. What made it seem credible?
Module 2: Common Tactics
Introduction
Misinformation spreads because certain tricks make falsehoods stick. Once you can name the tactic, you're already stronger against it.
Manipulation Tactics Exposed
🍒 Cherry-Picking: Selecting only supportive evidence
How it works: Present only the 1 study that supports your claim while ignoring the 99 that don't.
Real Example: "This 1998 study of 12 children shows vaccines might cause autism!" (Ignoring thousands of studies showing no link)
Counter it: Ask "What does the majority of research say?"
⚖️ False Balance: Making fringe views seem equal
Media Example: Climate change "debate" with one scientist vs. one denier, implying 50/50 split when it's actually 97/3.
Why it works: Journalists taught to show "both sides" can accidentally legitimize fringe positions.
Module 3: Psychology of Belief
Introduction
Our minds rely on shortcuts, emotions, and prior beliefs. Knowing these vulnerabilities helps you understand why misinformation sticks.
How Your Brain Gets Tricked
🧠 Mental Shortcuts (Heuristics)
The Shortcut: "If it feels familiar, it must be true."
How it backfires: Advertisers repeat slogans until they feel true. Politicians repeat lies until they stick.
Example: You've heard "We only use 10% of our brain" so many times, it feels true (it's completely false).
🔄 The Illusory Truth Effect
The Science: Simply repeating a statement makes people more likely to believe it's true.
Real World: "Death panels in healthcare" - repeated so often in 2009, 30% of Americans believed it.
Module 4: Red Flags & Heuristics
Module 5: Verification Skills
Module 6: Debunking Effectively
Module 7: Shielding & Prebunking
Module 8: Applied Simulation Lab
🎮 Misinformation Sandbox
Create & Analyze Misinformation (Safe Environment)
Emotional Headline Generator
Your generated headline will appear here...
Cherry-Picking Data Selector
Select data points to support a false narrative:
Your cherry-picked claim will appear here...
False Authority Creator
Conspiracy Theory Builder
Your conspiracy theory will appear here...
Module 9: Future-Proofing in the LLM Era
Post-Test: Measure Your Progress
Let's see how much you've learned! Answer the same questions from the pre-test.