Young people in Austria and Germany lose in the fake news jungle!

Young people in Austria and Germany lose in the fake news jungle!

The results of the PISA study 2022 show alarming developments in media literacy of young people in Austria and Germany. In Austria, only 44 percent of 15-year-old students are able to distinguish between true news and false news-the worst value among the OECD countries. These findings were brought to light by a special evaluation of the study. At a trade academy in Bludenz, students tested their skills in dealing with online information in an interactive “fake or fact” quiz. Although the pupils were able to correctly assess 61 percent of the clear headlines, it was shown that the time pressure often disabled them in the formation of judgment, as vorarlberg.orf reported.

lack of judgment in Germany

similarly worrying results came from Germany, where more than half of the students indicate that they have difficulty recognizing false news. A current PISA analysis that was published on January 27, 2025 showed that only 47 percent of young people are able to assess the quality of information independently. Although more than two thirds of the students are able to find information online, only about 60 percent compared different sources. It is also alarming that a third of the respondents do not carry out any review of information before they share it on social media, which is significantly below the OECD average of 72 percent, as Tagesschau.de reported.

These results illustrate the considerable catch -up requirement in school education in dealing with digital information. Teachers and educational institutions are faced with the challenge of better preparing students for the dangers of fake news and the spread of misinformation.