Safer Internet Day: Being AI aware

The Madison Police Department is encouraging parents and guardians to talk to children about safe internet practices.

In 2003, the European Union launched the first Safer Internet Day, and it has grown to more than 100 countries. The nonprofit Connect Safely is behind the event here in the United States. This year, organizers are focused on helping teens spot AI-generated images and news.

According to recent findings from Pew Research Center, younger adults differ significantly from older generations in how they consume information. The findings show they often trust social media personalities more than traditional news outlets. 

Here are some ways to build media savvy with your teen:

• Audit the domain together: A simple change from .org to .com can lead to a fraudulent site. Show your child how to double-check a URL before they hit "share.”
• Spot the “AI slop”: Use the News Literacy Project's "AI-generated News or Not?” quiz as a family activity to practice spotting “hallucinations” or weird visual glitches common in machine-made content.
• Discuss the “Why”: Using insights from Stanford’s CRAFT resources, talk with your kids about “what is AI-generated misinformation?” and why scammers create it—usually for quick profit or to cause confusion.
• Look for the human element: Remind your teen that real news is produced by people who “follow professional ethics and standards,” while impostor sites often feel hollow or robotic.
• Diversify their feed: Encourage your kids to follow a mix of sources. While they may love social media influencers, they need to know how to verify those stories against established journalistic institutions.