With election season already here and close to its end, the 2024 race is shaping up to be the most iconic since the 2016 election. Unfortunately, misinformation spreads like wildfire during election season—especially this year. Both candidates, Kamala Harris (Democrat) and Donald Trump (Republican), are doing an amazing job actively campaigning to connect with voters and sway public opinion in their favor. Both are locked in a highly competitive race – but so is misinformation.
A recent example of election-related misinformation involves AI-generated content suggesting false celebrity endorsements. Viral posts claimed that Taylor Swift endorsed former President Trump, and that Ryan Reynolds was spotted wearing a pro-Kamala Harris shirt. These images, fabricated using AI tools, make it easy to manipulate public opinion with fake media.
The recent controversy around Chappell Roan’s endorsement shows how such misinformation can target public perception to influence elections. People naturally want to know which politicians their favorite celebrities support. The purpose of this article is to inform teens about how misinformation forms during elections and provide tips to determine fact from fiction. As voters, this is incredibly important.
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Get notified of top trending articles like this one every week! (we won't spam you)What is Misinformation and Why Does it Matter in Elections?
Misinformation is false information intended to deceive. So, why does this impact elections? Misinformation can influence voter turnout, polarize opinions, and skew public perception of candidates and issues.
It can create an unfair election environment by clogging up the rhetorical and logical thinking of voters. Hence, it is important to spot the difference between fact and fiction before letting a tiny bit of misinformation sway your opinion.
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Common Ways Misinformation is Spread
When you think about misinformation, social media is the first place that should come to mind. Social media is the number one platform where misinformation spreads rapidly. At first glance, it doesn’t look or sound like misinformation, but logically, social media operates through algorithms designed to prioritize engagement over accuracy. The candidates in this election have also adapted to this algorithm.
A popular example would be the TikTok accounts created by the candidates. Donald Trump, for instance, posts TikToks with famous influencer and professional wrestler Logan Paul, attracting many of Paul’s fans. Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris also has a TikTok account, where she posts daily videos debunking things Trump has said—often using popular trends to poke fun at him. But this is just the surface of how misinformation spreads.
People use viral memes, false claims, and fake accounts to catch the attention of those browsing the internet. Another common method involves individuals posting videos where they discuss information that aligns with their beliefs, even if it’s false.

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A more subtle way misinformation spreads is through websites mimicking legitimate news sources. But how can you ensure a source is trustworthy? When it comes to politics, it’s best to rely on websites that end in .gov.
The most common and dangerous way misinformation spreads today is through deepfakes. With the rapid growth of AI, creating false images and videos has become easier than ever. For example, a deepfake video showing Biden making offensive comments about transgender people or one of Trump admitting to being racist can generate misleading headlines or clickbait articles.
I sometimes get caught up in misinformation and can be a bit gullible with what I read. So how can this be prevented?
Tips to Identify Fact vs. Fiction
As I mentioned before, if you want to find a trustworthy source to read about politics and current events, I suggest looking at a website that contains .gov. Don’t rely on Wikipedia or personal websites. ‘Gov’ indicates that the website provides official government information. To be even more certain that the source is trustworthy, check the author and do a background search.
I’ll admit that I often just glance at headlines to get the gist of the news without reading further. But sometimes, you need more than just the headline to understand the full picture. You can also fact-check websites by using tools like PolitiFact or Snopes, or verify claims across multiple sources.
This is just the reading part. Remember when I talked about how AI can generate fake photos? The same applies to cover images. A simple way to check if an image has been altered or used out of context is to run a reverse image search.

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Lastly—and most importantly—critically evaluate social media posts. When you read or hear something, stop and think critically. Ask yourself: Is this current or outdated? Is it based on facts or just someone venting emotions, like anger, without evidence?
If you follow these tips, especially the last one, you'll be much better equipped to spot the difference between fact and fiction.
How to Navigate News Outlets
Apart from being able to distinguish between fact and fiction, make sure you know how to navigate news outlets. If you don’t know how to do that, keep reading.
Follow outlets with different political leanings to get a balanced view. This is one of the most important ways to navigate news outlets. You don’t want to focus on just one side of the political spectrum, even if your friends, family, or favorite artist endorse a specific party.
Remember: it’s your vote, your voice! So before criticizing one party, make sure you’re reading about both parties to create a balanced perspective.

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Once you achieve that balance, make sure to understand the difference between opinion pieces and news reporting. Editorial opinions are not the same as factual reporting. An easy way to tell the difference is that news reports may contain statistics, numbers, and facts—things that might feel dry or make you lose interest. On the other hand, editorials often contain quotes, humor, or personal opinions.
It’s also important to recognize media bias. Some outlets lean toward a specific political party, so, as I mentioned before, balance is key. You can use tools like AllSides to assess bias across different outlets.
Another easy way to spot bias is by identifying sponsored or advertised content. Look for labels indicating paid promotions or sponsored articles so you can separate genuine reporting from content influenced by advertisers.
Encouraging Responsible Sharing and Media Literacy
I know this article might seem long, but I promise that if you take the time to absorb these tips, it will really help reduce the spread of misinformationá…³especially since we, as teenagers, often repost things we believe are correct simply because we were swayed by what we saw.
This leads to my first idea in this section. Think before sharing! Ask yourself if the information is accurate and from a reliable source, not because we think it is morally correct or funny or it follows our beliefs, I know we tend to do that a lot.
Another great approach is to discuss misinformation with peers and encourage your circle to have critical conversations, with family, friends, and one alike.
Finally, support media literacy programs, and highlight the importance of media literacy in school. I know school is the last place where you would want to bring in politics but it wouldn't hurt if teenagers close to the voting age are informed, and taught how to spot misinformation.
Closing Thoughts
I encourage you to stay informed and make thoughtful, fact-based decisions during election season, don't be simply persuaded by anything you find on social media, make sure to think critically, ask yourself questions. It's just you becoming a detective and trying to decipher if it's real news or misinformation. I hope your voting season goes well and that you make the right decisioná…³the decision you feel comfortable withá…³because it reflects your voice, not just the opinions of your friends or favorite artists. Safe elections!