TL;DR

Today’s tool gives your child (ages 10–18) a 3-question “Image Trust Test” to help them pause and think before trusting what they see online. Includes a printable checklist you can use together.

Can Your Teen Spot a Fake? They’ll Need To—71% of Online Images Are Now AI

A frequently cited stat says 71% of images on social media are now AI-generated or AI-enhanced. ¹ / Some are harmless filters. Others? Entirely synthetic fakes designed to persuade, manipulate, or go viral. Most kids scroll right past them—without knowing what they’re looking at.

🌱 Welcome to Future-Ready Parents—where we turn parenting worries into small, practical wins that build confident, tech-savvy kids (and calm, capable parents).

What to Expect Today

You’ll get a printable 3-question “Can I Trust This Image?” checklist, built to help kids pause before they react or repost.
Good for ages: 10–18
Use case: Quick judgment tool for images in feeds, chats, or search.

Why This Matters

It’s easy to think the real threat online is just scams or creepy DMs.

But the bigger risk might be kids trusting what they see without thinking critically. AI tools now generate 34 million new images daily. Many show up in their feeds with no warning label. And most of us—teens and adults alike—can’t tell the difference:
Studies show we’re only about 50% accurate at spotting AI-generated images. ²  

If your kid can’t filter what’s fake from what’s real, they’re more likely to:

• Believe distorted beauty or lifestyle content

• Share fakes that erode trust

• Miss early signs of misinformation or manipulation

But here’s the upside: teaching them to pause and question just once—before they react—helps build digital resilience that lasts.

🛠 Download: “Can I Trust This Image?” Checklist

Teach your child these 3 questions. Stick it to the fridge, mirror, or device lock screen.

1. Who posted this?

• Do I recognize the name?

• Is it a real person—or does the account feel fake or anonymous?

2. Why was it made?

• Is this meant to get a strong reaction (outrage, admiration, clicks)?

• Is it selling something? Spreading an opinion?

3. Can I check it?

• Try a reverse image search with Google Lens or long-press the image in a browser

• Look for glitches:

  • Fingers with extra joints

  • Blurred jewelry or backgrounds

  • Over-smooth faces that look “off”

🧠 Parent Tip:
Test this yourself first. Scroll your feed. Pick one suspicious image. Try the 3-question test. Then walk your child through what you found—without judgment. Just curiosity.

🧰 Age Guide:

• Ages 10–12: Focus on “Who posted this?”—teach them to spot suspicious accounts.

• Ages 13–15: Emphasize emotional bait—why someone might post something shocking.

• Ages 16–18: Add verification—how to check, why it matters in news, politics, and activism.

BEFORE YOU GO…

You don’t need your kid to turn into a digital detective. You just want them to pause long enough to notice when something’s off—and know what to do next.

These three questions?

Who? Why? Can I check?

They won’t solve everything.
But they will give your kid a filter that no algorithm can override: their own thinking.

That’s the muscle we’re building here. One scroll, one question, one conversation at a time.

Until next time,
James Brauer
Founder, Future-Ready Parents

1   https://prod.ucwe.capgemini.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Final-Web-Version-Report-Creative-Gen-AI.pdf

2   https://sightengine.com/human-abilities-to-spot-ai-images