Revealed: Shocking number of Kiwis don't fact-check what they share online

Do you ever pause to check if something is legit before spreading the word? Well, new research says you need to.

TikTok AUNZ has found nearly four in ten Kiwis (39%) admit they don’t regularly verify info before sharing it online - and that’s something to worry about.

In a world where scams, AI deepfakes, and misleading content are becoming all too common on our feeds, it just goes to show how quickly misinformation can do the rounds if we’re not doing our due diligence.

On a more positive note, 46% of Kiwis say they’ve become more cautious online after previously believing something that wasn’t actually true.

A third of Kiwis (33%) say they feel embarrassed, annoyed or frustrated after realising something they shared was false, but only 19% say they actually make the effort to go back and correct or delete misinformation they’ve shared.

Critical thinking expert and Senior Lecturer at the University of Auckland, Dr Maree Davies, says: “Whether we are looking for information online or having a conversation in our community, our first instinct is often an emotional reaction.”

Instead, she says we need to be making “deliberate, ethical decisions about how we engage with others online”.

So, to encourage Kiwis to build better habits and avoid falling into the rabbit hole of being misled, TikTok AUNZ has created a catchy way to tackle the issue - and it’s very on brand for the platform.

'Catch, Check, Choose' is a track written, produced and performed by musician and creator Dom Littrich.

Catch yourself before reacting, check the facts, and choose what to do next - that's the message behind the song, encouraging people to be more digitally aware while scrolling.

The video features AI-generated bunnies, fake messages from 'Uncle Paul', and plenty of moments that feel a little too familiar in our usual doom scrolls.

Dom says, “The song is really catchy and just gets stuck in your head, which is exactly what the message needs to do."

“If a catchy hook is what it takes to get people thinking twice before they share something or do something, I’ll take that as a win.”

Dr Davies adds: “What’s great about the 3Cs is that it trains us to build a cognitive speed bump: to catch that first reaction, check if the facts actually hold up, and consciously choose our response.”

Now we’re all thinking about the things we’ve fallen for, aren’t we? Good - I guess that’s a start.