The Challenge

Young people today live in an information-saturated world. Social media, breaking news, and AI-generated content arrive in constant streams, often without context or clarity. For middle and high school students, these are the years that shape how they think, what they believe, and how they engage with the world.

Without guidance, they risk falling into one of two traps: believing everything they read or distrusting everything altogether. Both limit their growth in school, their readiness for college and career, and their role as informed citizens. 

Recent research studies of U.S. middle and high schools students have shown: 

96% of high school students failed to accurately judge the credibility of a piece of information online.

– Stanford University, 2019

60% of teens agreed with at least four online conspiracies, making them more susceptible than adults.

– Center for Countering Digital Hate, 2023

35%    of students have been personally deceived by fake information online.

  – Common Sense Media, 2025 

22% of teens reported sharing online content that was later found to be false. 

  – Common Sense Media, 2025