How Gen Alpha Navigates Fake News

Fake news, real news, old news… In an age of AI-generated headlines and viral misinformation, Gen Alpha faces a new challenge: knowing what to believe.  

Our newest Gaming, News & Culture report uncovers:  

• How do kids get their news?  

• The struggle with critical thinking: what do they rely on when it comes to fact-checking?  

• The rise of sceptical consumers: whom do kids trust?  

How do kids get their news:    

For kids, the term “news” tends to mean the TV “news”.  Yet kids are engaged with a range of topics that could be classed as news - they just wouldn’t describe them as such.  That means their terminology is wide and varied, ranging from “trends” to “gossip”, or sector-specific - such as football or gaming.  

News is pushed to kids constantly, whether it’s   

• First-hand on social media  

• Second-hand via social media rumours and trends  

• Chatter in the playground  

• Conversations at home   

• Push notifications on their devices  

And it’s crucial they learn how to critically engage with news early on.   

The struggle with critical thinking  

Critical thinking matures during the concrete operational stage of child development, between the age of 7 and 11. But logical thinking and applying data beyond their experience does not kick in until they are 13+.  So, it can be a real struggle for kids to stop and think about whether something is true, not to mention also actioning on it.   

“I mean, not all my sources are reliable considering I get a lot of information from Instagram accounts" – Maya, 12   

Gen Alpha are bombarded by fake news, rumours, gossip, deepfakes, and AI, because there are less and less trusted sources out there for them. How do they navigate that?   

The rise of sceptical consumers  

In 2025, the good(!) news is that Gen Alpha are aware that not everything they see is true. They are certainly more switched on than previous generations to the fact that fake news exists, but they have limited ways of validating what they are hearing. However, they do try, and exposes are shared quickly, from influencers mistreating staff to fake claims for branded products.  

What does this mean for brands? Above all, Gen Alpha demand trust and authenticity. Be sure that if you make claims that can’t be substantiated, they WILL find out and share that knowledge.  However, as part of that desire for authenticity, they love to see behind the curtain, so do share your “fails”.  Just make sure you address them openly and honestly.  

For a deeper dive into how your brand can leverage trust, authenticity and transparency, get in touch with the team at hello@beanobrain.com. We’d love to hear from you!