The Digital Deception: Investigating the Impact of Misinformation on Children’s Cognitive Development and Educational Outcomes

In the age of digital world, children are constantly subjected to misinformation, which can profoundly influence cognitive development, education levels and experience. While misinformation has been well researched among adults, its effects on young and developing individuals remains underexplored particularly in underdeveloped contexts. This qualitative article investigating how misleading online content influences the beliefs, perceptions and behaviors of children aged between 7-13 years. Using in-depth semi-structured interviews of 30 children (15 males and 15 females), who are middle-class students of the schools in Garden west, Karachi, this study explores how children perceive false information and how it affects their critical thinking, cognitive abilities, learning performance and socialization. This investigative paper is constructivist in nature based on the theories of Piaget and Vygotsky, and analyzes data using six-step thematic analysis of Braun and Clarke. By employing this methodology, the results demonstrate that children have difficulties with differentiating the truth and fiction, experience academic and emotional confusion as a result of misinformation, and benefit significantly of early media-literacy instruction. The study delivers detailed and contextual information on how children view digital content and how these perceptions influence their views of the world and academic achievements.