Democracy Depends on Truth!

Propaganda has always existed, but the internet has made it viral. Memes travel faster than facts, and people often believe them because they look official.

Not long ago, I saw a family member share a vaccine meme.

It listed chemicals like formaldehyde, aluminum, fetal cells, and animal products with bright warning labels. The comments showed people treating it as fact.

My first reaction? Anxiety, Fear, then frustration.

I started to think about all the damage that something like this could do. I then did some research about this meme on AI.

  • The AP News fact-check calls it a “popular meme” that’s been shared repeatedly in different anti-vaccine communities.
  • On TikTok, these kinds of screenshots and stitched videos get thousands to tens of thousands of views per post, often amplified by comments, duets, and reactions.
  • Researchers describe memes like this as “super-spreaders” of misinformation, because they are simple, visual, and emotionally charged — which makes them travel fast.

Instead of scrolling past, I ran it through AI. Here’s what I found:

  • Formaldehyde → Yes, trace amounts may remain. However, a pear has ~50 times more natural formaldehyde than any vaccine dose.
  • Fetal cells → False wording. Some vaccines are grown in historic cell lines from the 1960s, but no cells are in the shot.
  • Animal products → Sometimes used in growth or stabilization, but purified and regulated. Even people with egg allergies can safely receive flu vaccines today.

The meme was not just incomplete — it was designed to mislead! And that was just the beginning, upload the meme yourself and use the AI prompt below and see for yourself.

 

The Habit That Protects Democracy

In Metacognitive Clarity: Think Rigorously. Advance Democracy, my co-authors, Isaac Wells and St. Claire Adriaan, describe the Evidence → Analysis → Action habit:

  • EVIDENCE: Gather Evidence → What is being claimed?
  • ANALYSIS: Analyze → What’s true, false, or misleading?
  • ACTION: Take Action → Stop the spread of lies. Share truth responsibly.

 

Learning from Finland: A Curriculum for Democracy

Finland is often cited as a global leader in resisting misinformation. Since 2014, the Finnish national curriculum has explicitly included media literacy and critical thinking skills as essential components of education. Students are taught from an early age how to spot false claims, question sources, and analyze bias in headlines, memes, and social media posts. Rather than treating fact-checking as an optional skill, Finland frames it as a civic responsibility.

AI now gives us a powerful partner in this process. Just as Finnish students practice spotting propaganda in real-world examples, our students can use AI to extract claims, compare evidence, and test whether information is true, misleading, or false. By embedding AI fact-checking into classroom routines, we prepare young people to do more than protect themselves — we prepare them to teach their families and communities as well. When students bring these skills home, they multiply their impact, creating a culture of shared vigilance and clarity.

 

Why This Matters for Students

Fact-checking isn’t just about sorting truth from lies — it’s a metacognitive exercise. When students use the Evidence → Analysis → Action habit, paired with the Meta-Cycle (Plan → Monitor → Evaluate), they become more aware of their own thinking and learning process. This awareness builds agency, strengthens critical judgment, and prepares them to resist propaganda. Teaching students to pause, question, and reflect turns fact-checking into a habit of mind that supports both learning and democracy.

 

A Simple Tool: One Prompt for All Citizens

You don’t need complicated tech. Just copy and paste this into your AI tool:

Help me verify the truth of this meme, article, or video.

1) Pull out 3–5 main claims.
2) Tell me which are true, false, or misleading and explain why in simple words.
3) Give a real-life comparison (like food or nature) for each scary-sounding claim.
4) End with a short takeaway I could share with a friend.

A Call to Action

Every fraudulent meme you scroll past is a small victory for propaganda.

This isn’t just about truth and integrity — It’s about creating the kind of society we want to live in.

Stop the Spin. Spread the Truth. Protect Democracy! Join the Impact Team Movement and bring AI-Powered PLC Protocols to your school. Our mission is simple: give teachers back precious time—so they can invest more in creativity, evidence-based lesson design, and inspired and passionate teaching!

References

  • ChatGPT. (2025). Example AI fact-checking prompt used in this blog. OpenAI.
  • Bloomberg, P. J. (2025, forthcoming). AI-Powered PLC Protocols: Brains + Bots: Freeing Teachers to Do What Matters Most. Mimi & Todd Press.
  • Bloomberg, P. J., Wells, I., & St. Claire, A. (2025, forthcoming). Metacognitive Clarity: Think Rigorously. Advance Democracy. Mimi & Todd Press.
  • European Commission. (2018). Tackling online disinformation: A European approach. Brussels: European Union.
  • OECD. (2021). Media literacy and resilience against misinformation. OECD Publishing.
  • United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). Vaccine excipient summary. CDC.gov.
  • United States Food and Drug Administration. (2023). Vaccine product inserts and ingredients. FDA.gov.
  • World Health Organization. (2023). Vaccine safety basics. WHO.int.