With the increase of video-based social media platforms (such as YouTube and TikTok), there’s also been an increase in “deep fake” videos. In these videos, video creators can impersonate other people and make it look as though they’re the ones talking. Let’s take a look.
Play the following video for your teens [5:03; stop at 3:22]:
‘Deep Fakes’ Are Becoming More Realistic Thanks To New Technology
While there are ways to spot a deep fake video, these types of videos continue to be a problem. After all, these videos can be made as though celebrities or politicians are saying or doing things that they aren’t actually saying or doing. This can spread misinformation and harm the reputations of the people being impersonated.
- Have you ever fallen for a fake video or news story? What made you believe it? (Accept all reasonable answers. Most people have fallen for a fake news story, even if they haven’t passed it on by sharing it. Be prepared to share your own experience.)
- How did you find out the video or story was fake? Did it change the way you read “news” after that? (Hopefully when it happens to you, someone who knows better points out the error and you are more careful going forward.)
- How do you determine what is fact or fiction (in the news or otherwise)? (Students may learn these skills in schools, or not. A lot of fake news sites look like real news sites, so you have to pay attention and check it against other sources. This wisdom applies to other areas of life as well.)
There’s so much information—and misinformation—out there. It can be easy to be overly gullible or overly cynical, or just plain confused. It is important to find ways to stay alert and accurate. This applies to our faith, too. Jesus calls us to believe that He is who He says He is and shows us why we can trust that He’s truthful.
