Most online content has been created or shared by humans rather than computers. While information might be factual, it can also include opinions, mistakes and lies!
Social media provide great opportunities for everyone to express their views. But this doesn’t mean people say things that are true. You may see and hear things online from famous people more than others but remember that even famous people can get their facts wrong. They may also just share their own opinions or ideas, which doesn’t make them wrong, but keep in mind that they may not be factual either.
Famous people may also talk about products they like to use – when they do, this is just like an advert. They should tell you that they have been paid by a company to talk about the product, but sometimes they don’t.
Sometimes news stories and posts go ‘viral’ online – where lots of people share it with others very quickly. Remember, just because something is popular online doesn’t mean that it is true or accurate.