Scouts learn how to spot fake news and earn ‘digital citizen’ badge
SCOUTS will be taught to spot fake news and watch out for sponsored celebrity-endorsed products on social media as the organisation looks to better reflect the challenges faced by young people in 21st century life.
The revamped “digital citizen” badge has been designed to teach scouts how to manage cyber bullying, protect their personal data and boost their CVS as Chief Scout Bear Grylls urges them to “develop skills for life”. Tasks include interrogating “bogus bulletins”, where pictures or stories have been shared across the world but are not actually true. One example given is a Photoshopped image of a shark swimming down a motorway in Texas after a hurricane, which was seen by at least 14million people.
More advanced Scouts will be asked to create a digital version of the Scout Law and debate about contentious issues, where opinion is polarised.
The new programme comes after an Ofcom study found last year that more than 50 per cent of 12 to 15-year olds said that they found it difficult to work out whether news on social media is accurate or not.
The Scouts have been given three top tips for spotting fake news: look at the source; ask questions; and evaluate the evidence. Celebrities and social media sites are put under scrutiny. The Scouts’ advice says: “Does that source have any vested interests? Are they making money from it? Are they selling something? Why are they making this claim? It doesn’t always mean the claim is dubious, but it’s a good place to start.
“It’s important for channels like Instagram, where lots of celebrities get paid to promote a product. They won’t necessarily look at the evidence, but they’ll say that it’s effective for a fee.”
There are 638,000 scouts in the UK, and more than a quarter (182,000) are girls. Scout volunteers contribute more than 30 million hours of work each year to their local communities.
Scouts will continue to promote outdoor activities such as orienteering, but a spokesman told The Daily Telegraph: “Society has changed since 1907 when we started. We need to equip young people to live an active, positive life.” Grylls said: “I am very proud to relaunch the Digital Citizen Badge, so it’s fit for purpose in rapidly changing digital world.
“I am known for being able to survive in the wild but it’s just as important that young people today have their wits about them when online. Taking part in this badge will help Scouts of all ages make good online decisions.
“Scouting is all about helping young people develop skills for life and this badge a really good example of our approach to youth work.”
Explorer scout Charlie White, 15, from Sheldon, Birmingham, said: “It’s really important I learn how to spot fake news that comes in on my smartphone. Sometimes my friends tell me stuff and I think, that just can’t be true.
“Now I know a way to check it and see if it really is true.”
The new course has been produced in conjunction with Nominet, the .uk domain name registry.
Eleanor Bradley, MD of registry and public benefit at the company, said: “Our children’s relationship with technology has changed beyond all measure over recent years and particularly during lockdown.”