As Election Day approaches, the best way for you to stop the spread of misinformation is to build the skills to spot it.
Artificial intelligence tools are making it cheaper and easier to create deepfake photos and videos. Social media platforms that prioritize sensational posts are making it harder to avoid false narratives and conspiracy theories online. And some tech companies and government agencies have pulled back from fact-checking and debunking falsehoods.
That leaves you as the first line of defense against misinformation.
To help, some researchers are encouraging “prebunking” — exposing people to weakened doses of misinformation paired with explanations so they can develop the “mental antibodies” to spot hoaxes before sharing them
How good are your defenses against election hoaxes? Can you spot whether these eight real examples from social media contain misleading information? Test your instincts below to see how you compare to other Post readers, and we’ll give you advice on how to know what to scrutinize online this election season.
Illustration of the X app on a mobile phone, showing a tweet with a photo of Donald Trump bleeding from his right ear. He is surrounded by guards and his right fist is raised in the air, defiant.
Does this include misleading info?
Illustration of a web browser showing an article on Kamala Harris. Harris is pictured in an illustrated photo collage with her nose elongated like Pinocchio.
Does this include misleading info?
Illustration of a tablet device showing an email newsletter from Kristen Gillibrand.
Does this include misleading info?
Illustration of a mobile phone on the X app, viewing a tweet from @KamalaHQ. The tweet embeds a video clip of an interview with JD Vance.
Does this include misleading info?
Illustrated web browser shows a tweet from the White House on X.com. A bar chart accompanies the tweet, showing America's economic growth in the 21st century.
Does this include misleading info?
Illustration of the X app on a mobile phone, showing a tweet from Stephen Gutowski quote-retweeting Kaitlan Collins.
Does this include misleading info?
Illustration of the Instagram app on a mobile phone. There is a photo of Donald Trump and Elon Musk shaking hands in what looks like a factory.
Does this include misleading info?
Illustration of the X app on a tablet device, showing a tweet from Donald J. Trump.
Does this include misleading info?
You need to answer every question to see your results. You’re missing questions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8.
We live in an age of information overload, where cacophonous social networks and evolving technologies like AI cloud reality. Misinformation can undermine democracy, increasing political hostility and reducing trust in elections.
Here are some steps you can take to identify misinformation so you don’t accidentally share it.
Slow down
Make sure you read the entire message or watch the whole video. Consider why you immediately want to hit that share button, and see if you still feel the same way after you have taken a brief break from your phone or computer.
Look at the language
If a post contains attention-grabbing or inflammatory language like ALL CAPS, excessive exclamation points or crude name-calling, experts say it can be designed to grab your attention and cloud your judgment.
Ask questions
Does the post contain a really simple explanation for a huge problem? Does the answer seem almost too easy? If so, dig a little deeper and examine your own biases. Does the post play into what you already believe? Be aware of what political predispositions or beliefs you hold, and consider how that may be influencing your response.
Examine your emotions
Posts that elicit fear, anger and other strong emotions are rewarded by the algorithms that drive Facebook and other social networks. Consider why the post is eliciting an intense reaction and weigh whether the creator of the post or video is attempting to manipulate your feelings. If you’re getting an intense emotional response, it might be time to pause before sharing.
Find the source
Think about the people posting content, and check to see whether their jobs or other posts suggest that they might have a bias on this topic. Check their academic and professional history to weigh whether they have special expertise in the subject.
Do some research off the social media site. Trace the original source of the information to confirm its accuracy. Search for the original studies or documents referenced in the post.
Inspect the visuals
The easiest way to spot manipulated imagery is to zoom in and look for irregularities like extra fingers, distorted geometry or a generally airbrushed look that’s just too good to be true. Consider reverse image searching and seeking confirmation from media researchers or verifiable news outlets that may be covering the topic.
If you’re looking at a chart or map, take extra care to make sure that the design is clear and not distorted. One of the most common ways that misinformers distort charts is by using inconsistent measurements, so double check those horizontal and vertical axes.
*Source links could be inoperative if original posts are removed.
About this story
Insights and expertise for this quiz were contributed by researchers at the University of Washington’s Center for an Informed Public, Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence and Poynter’s MediaWise, which develops media literacy education to help people learn skills to identify misinformation. Examples of true and misleading information shared online were sourced from X, Truth Social, an online newsletter and a government report.
Editing by Karly Domb Sadof, Kate Rabinowitz and James Graff.