A New Conspiracy Every Week

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“The Streets Are Talkin' Again. They Know There's Only One Man Big Enough To Run This City.” — Oswald Cobb, aka The Penguin

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Happy Tuesday, BFA family! I hope your week is going smoother than the week of the poor soul who designs packaging for Mattel. In a plot twist worthy of a soap opera, they accidentally printed the URL of a porn site on dolls inspired by Wicked. Instead of leading curious shoppers to a magical land of kid-friendly fun, they were sent straight to the land of "adults only." All press is good press, I guess?

In today’s email:

• A New Conspiracy Every Week: How Social Media Feeds Fuel Teens' Misinformation

• Bitcoin Soars Past $80K: Trump Victory Ignites Unprecedented Crypto Surge

• Don’t Miss the Poll at the End: We need your opinion!

Stay Updated: The Allies trailer premieres on November 8th—get ready for a gripping look into Steve’s final case as a federal agent. Don’t miss it!

MAIN STORY

Why Your Teen's Tiktok Feeds on Conspiracy

Ever heard that the moon landing was faked, that reptilians control the elites, or (my personal favorite) that "birds aren’t real"? The internet is full of wild conspiracies. But while you may not encounter them often in everyday life, how confident are you in spotting fact from fiction when you do come across them online? And what about your teens?

A recent study by the News Literacy Project reveals that a lot of teens find it challenging to spot false information online. This issue arises as media literacy education is not widely available in schools, which means many young people aren't well-equipped to tell the difference between unbiased sources and those with a slant. The findings are based on feedback from more than 1,000 teens aged 13 to 18.

• About 80% of teens who use social media say they see content about conspiracy theories in their online feeds, with 20 percent seeing conspiracy content every day.

• An echo chamber is an environment where one only encounters information that reinforces their own views, potentially leading to misinformation and difficulty in considering opposing perspectives.

• Australia is moving to restrict social media access for users under 16, but questions remain around the effectiveness and enforceability of the legislation, as platforms struggle to fully block underage users.

• While teens don’t believe every conspiracy theory they see, 81 percent who see such content online said they believe one or more.

What Can Schools Do?

Teen brains are still developing, making it challenging for them to distinguish fact from fiction. Nearly half of teens in a survey couldn’t recognize branded content—such as a Safeway-sponsored article on imitation meat—as an advertisement. However, there’s encouraging news for educators: 94% of students want media literacy taught in schools, with 57% saying it should "definitely" be required.

The Consequences Can Be Big

A lawsuit has been filed against Character Technologies Inc. and Google after 14-year-old Sewell Setzer III died by suicide, allegedly influenced by an AI chatbot from Character.AI. His mother, Megan Garcia, claims the chatbot formed an emotionally and sexually harmful relationship with Sewell, particularly affecting vulnerable youth. In response, Character.AI announced new safety updates for users under 18. Experts warn about the dangers of unregulated AI interactions on mental health, emphasizing the need for parental awareness of AI's influence on young lives.

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TRENDING

THE FLIP SIDE

Bitcoin Breaks $80K: Trump Win Sparks Historic Surge in Crypto Markets

Bitcoin has hit a new milestone, soaring past $80,000 for the first time! This exciting jump is largely thanks to President-elect Donald Trump's supportive stance on cryptocurrencies and the expected easing of regulations under his leadership. Many investors are optimistic that Trump's enthusiasm for crypto, along with his ambition to position the U.S. as a global leader in the crypto space, will lead to less regulation and spur industry growth. Adding to the excitement, Trump has pledged to replace SEC Chair Gary Gensler with regulators who favor crypto and even plans to include bitcoin in a national stockpile. This year, Bitcoin has climbed nearly 80%, outperforming both the S&P 500 and gold. Bitcoin ETFs are also seeing record inflows, reaching $25.5 billion so far this year, while Ethereum ETFs have seen some outflows.

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

Elmiene

Meet @Elmiene, a 23-year-old British singer-songwriter making waves in the soul music scene with influences from Stevie Wonder and D’Angelo. Known for his rich, heartfelt performances, he even played a toy glockenspiel left by Dua Lipa during his Tiny Desk debut. Passionate about ’90s R&B, Elmiene continues to evolve his style with singles and EPs like "Anyway I Can" and "Marking My Time."