Youngsters are afraid that the war will spread to Britain.
Fake news about the war in Ukraine spreading from social media to school playgrounds has caused children’s anxiety levels to increase, according to the editor of BBC’s Newsround.
The famous children’s news bulletin has reported that parents and teachers say disinformation about the conflict has made youngsters afraid that the war will spread to Britain.
The cause is said to be fake videos circulating on TikTok that feature manipulated footage from past conflicts or of President Zelensky saying words he hasn’t said.
The i Paper revealed that one fear-mongering viral clip focused on the destruction that could be caused if Manchester, London or Bristol was hit by a nuclear bomb.
The disturbing fact is these kind of videos are reaching millions of young people each day.
Lewis James, Newsround editor, told the newspaper that the misinformation is starting with the age group of children who have smart phones and is spreading to younger children at schools. “When the invasion began, the misinformation began in the playground – ‘The world’s about to end, this war is coming to Britain, it’s going to be World War Three,” he said.
Newsround is determined to combat the fake news – and it views TikTok as a perfect vehicle for doing so because of its popularity with youngsters.
The BBC’s disinformation team is offering advice to Newsround viewers on how to spot fake news videos on social media.
Yet its journalists believe that it’s important to never sugar-coat subjects like war and it has covered the plight of Ukrainian children forced to flee the country and of others under bombardment and fearing for their lives.
“We can’t promise that the war won’t escalate beyond Ukraine because if it did we would never be trusted again,” James said. “What we can say is that international diplomatic experts think the risk is very small and here are the things that would prevent that escalation.”
Teachers are being encouraged to screen Newsround’s 30-minute special programme marking the first anniversary of the invasion.
Ukraine: The Children’s Story – A Newsround Special airs on CBBC and iPlayer on February 22. My Life: Ukraine, My Home is on iPlayer now.
Shot in Northern Ukraine, it shows a class having to take shelter during an air raid alarm. It also follows children using dog therapy to cope with the trauma of war.
Producer Lauren Parker said: “They can’t understand why this is happening to them and it’s invaluable to hear their experience first-hand.”
