Teach Teens to Discern

Teach Teens to Discern

Our days

are filled with

attempts by the world

to manipulate our opinions.

Let's arm our teens with help.

What you learn

on this page

will help your teens -

and maybe even you !

Consider

"It's easier to fool people

than to convince them they've been fooled."

Mark Twain

Our Teens

need

wisdom & logic.

Let's teach our teens wisdom and logic.

Let's prepare our teens

for

the manipulative techniques they will encounter.

A

Helpful

First Video

The above video highlighted

The Bandwagon fallacy - Everybody is doing it or buying it so it must be great.

Testimonial fallacy - A famous person is endorsing something so it is great!

Plain Folks - Showing ordinary people using something. Politicians eating at a Fast Food Restaurant makes them look like plain folks. We trust a politician more if we think he or she acts like we do.  

Transfer Technique - Trying to take something (like a cute pet) and associate it with the thing the company is advertising.  Another example -  In a commercial, if you can wear a lab coat, it makes people think you are trustworthy.

Using fear to influence. It is wise to think things through and not just make decisions from our emotions. Using emotions to influence is sometimes called Appeal to Emotion.

Take Note:

When you are feeling stirred to give an emotional response,

clear thinking is hindered.

Beth who wrote this page says...

I wish I had the information on this page

when I was a teenager.

When I was a teenager and even well into my adult years ...

I believed that

when

I was listening to "the news"

I was only hearing facts.

But

news stations

and radio stations

are businesses that want to please advertisers.

And

news & radio stations

have leadership

who have

strong political views that they want to promote. 

And - I also believed - 

Scientists always give us truth that we can rely on.

But

scientists

make mistakes

and

some of them

have

very

strong opinions

that they try to promote by skillfully slanting information.

And some scientific organizations

won't allow research on topics that are not popular. 

And I used to believe -

Medical doctors know everything

and

can't be wrong.

But

medical doctors

are human and very busy.

They rely on "scientists" and

"medical leaders in their organizations"

to give them accurate information.

And

I wish when I was young,

I thought more about

the manipulation

that comes with all the commercials I was watching.

Thinking

logically and carefully

is not automatic.

Consider

The Bible says,

"Any story

sounds

true

until someone

tells the other side and sets the record straight."

Proverbs 18:17 TLB

Logic

is a needed defense to protect us

from

good-willed people who are incorrect,

and from

being 

taken advantage of,

unfairly influenced,

or deceptively fooled.

~ ~ ~

Thinking logically helps us make

good choices.

Next

let's look at the technique of

Appeal to Emotion

The above commercial

creates fear

just

a little bit of fear

about

what will happen if you don't buy Duracell Optimum.

It creates a slight emotional response

and uses it

to

implant in our mind that

"if I buy Duracell Optimum, I will protect myself against

unwanted outcomes."

Next

let's quickly look at the 

The Transfer Technique

It is taking something

(for example - our trust in firefighters)

and associating it with the thing the company is advertising.

This second Duracell commercial

uses this technique.

The Transfer Technique

You trust firefighters.

Firefighters trust Duracell.

Therefore you should trust Duracell. 

Logical

Fallacies

The above video highlighted

False Cause - The dinosaurs age vegetables and they are extinct.

Straw Man Argument - it is often used in debating. In this technique, someone takes an argument of their opponent and misrepresents it so it is easier to attack and appear to win the argument. This argument is also often used by biased journalists.

Begging the Question  - A type of circular argument where someone includes their conclusion as a part of their reasoning. 

Example: The Law should be followed because it is illegal to break it.

Example: Our product is the best because we only sell high-quality items.

Video on Begging the Question https://youtu.be/VXoSHv1GP4I?si=LlwLKxXNGf0QCl5x

False Dilemma  - My friend doesn't answer the door - so he must not be home.

The

First Technique

I'll highlight in depth

is

called

Name Calling or Ad hominem Attack.

We see this a lot in politics.

We also see it used

by

teenagers

trying to control others.

It is used a lot

because

it persuades

lots of people

who aren't paying close attention.

In politics,

an

ad hominem attack

is used to verbally attack the other person

instead of

attacking

the idea the other person is presenting. 

This technique

can be used out of frustration but it is

generally used

to try to

divert listeners from focusing on the issues.

Often a person uses this technique

because

the person thinks that

he or she

cannot

win over listeners

by logic

so the person

reverts

to name - calling.

Take note

of the people you see who are name - calling.

Ask yourself -

Do these people

use this fallacy

try to win people toward themselves

and away

from another opinion?

Ask yourself -

Are these people

open and eager to debate?

Or

do they just want to call a person bad names?

Ask yourself -

Do these people want to share the

logic

behind their opinions?

Or

do they just want

to

dirty the name

of

those who oppose them

or

those who feel like a threat to them?

Teen Situations

This technique

can

even be used in 

a teen situation.

An example might be

where one teen

(I call person A)

feels threatened by a Christian teen.

The Threat might be

  that ....

Person A - who is a Bully - is 

worried that

the Christian teen might convince

person A's friends

to become more Bible - oriented.

So person A

feels that

he or she might lose those friends to Christianity.

So the Christian is seen as a threat.

This results

in name - calling and sometimes worse.

Sometimes teens

are put in a position of being alone.

Being alone does not feel good.

But - it is temporary. 

And note that

we show our love for God,

when we do not compromise our faith.

Another Teen example

Calling someone a "bad" name

is a technique used 

to win an argument 

by

intimidating another person into silence

instead of

trying to logically show that he or she has the best ideas.

Note:

Teens might be likely to observe

political

name - calling

when watching a 

gun-control debate.

Both sides are very tempted to use name - calling.

Wisdom Says...

When a group of your peers

continually uses name-calling,

look deeper into the situation.

Don't let the threat of being called a name

keep you

from making wise decisions.  

For example,

if

teens say words to you

that essentially tell you - 

"If you don't join our group, you will be labeled as.... 

(boring or stupid or uncool or a Christian kook)  "

don't let

your emotions

direct your decision.

My friend Carl often says,

Emotions should provide awareness,

but not necessarily direction.

Carl Smith

Next

I'll highlight the

Bandwagon Fallacy

Consider the following commercial

- 

What type or types of logical fallacies are being used?

More about Commercials

Part of this page includes

highlighting

HOW

ads try to

influence or manipulate us

to buy things.

-

Commercials often imply -

"This product will make you FEEL happy!"

Which is an

Appeal to Emotion.

This next video

gives insights

into advertising.

There are words and phrases

(and pictures that represent these words and phrases)

that

ad companies use to draw us to buy.

For example...

"You deserve it."

"The popular people buy this."

"This product makes life more fun."

"You are missing out by not having this product."

"Everybody is getting it."

"You'll never be happy, unless you buy this."

"You will be ostracized if you don't have one."

Advertisers do not want you

to think logically

about a purchase.

They instead encourage you

to let your emotions decide what to purchase.

Ad companies work hard to  - 

Stir your emotions!

You can GAIN insights from

every message of

persuasion

by meeting the message with 3 questions:

1.

What do they want me to feel?

2.

What do they want me to do?

3.

Who gains by me feeling 'this' or doing 'this' ?

When making important decisions,

it is wise to use 

Critical Thinking.

-

Critical Thinking  is  Careful Thinking.

Critical Thinking means -

being able to clarify your thinking so that you can break down a problem or a piece of information, interpret it and use that interpretation to arrive at an informed decision or judgment.

The above definition came from...

https://www.monash.edu/student-academic-success/enhance-your-thinking/critical-thinking/what-is-critical-thinking

When we need to figure out

if

an argument is

true or false -

we need to do

critical thinking.

It is important to ...

Ask Questions.

Check facts that are presented to you.

Think for yourself before agreeing with an idea or buying something.

Be open to hear views of those who might disagree with you. (Those people might have some good points.)

The

Second Technique

I'll highlight

in depth

is called

Appeal to Authority.

Appeal to Authority

is

trying to persuade by saying

that a certain theory or belief

is right

because such and such person

with high educational degrees or honorary titles

or some other kind of prestige in the community

 believes it is right. 

(Appeal to Authority is often used in advertising.)

For example:

This technique essentially says that...

He has a Ph.D.

He cannot be wrong.

Or

She is a medical doctor.

She cannot be wrong.

Or

That person is a scientist.

A scientist cannot be wrong.

Or

That person has a huge internet following.

A popular person cannot be wrong.

After all....

How can that person possibly be wrong ?

We get lots of pressure

from people

who use their "education" to confidently tell us

that we MUST believe what they say. 

People sometimes say or imply,

"I'm correct because I have more degrees than you,

or I have lived longer than you,

or because people call me an EXPERT."

-

Some imply it with a questionable attitude.

Here is a medical example.

Introduction

Even if

the majority of medical doctors think a certain way -

they can be wrong.

We need to examine facts

if

we are thinking about

an important medical decision.

When I was in public school,

my science teacher laughed

about the time in history

where doctors took leeches

and

put them on patients.

She mockingly told us -

"That was a respected medical technique!"

Then when I was in my 40's,

I turned on my desk-top computer to get into my e-mail,

and

I saw a headline that said -

Doctors think that

leeches

may actually

be a good medical choice for certain conditions.

And today

doctors sometimes use leeches.

See the articles below that I found today to illustrate this.

Cut & paste in browser.

https://www.britannica.com/science/leeching

https://www.uhhospitals.org/blog/articles/2020/03/how-leeches-can-save-lives-and-limbs-for-some-patients

My point is

When I was in public school,

teachers laughed

at using leeches.

But now

it is being done

just like in the "dark ages" of centuries past.

So...

it doesn't matter if the idea is old or new.

Therefore ...

let's evaluate the idea on its merits.

The next section highlights

LAUGHTER

Laughter

Laughter is a wonderful gift from God.

Yet

laughter is often used to manipulate people.

Be aware

when you see people using humor to mock someone.

One "humor" technique in a debate

is when a person 

takes a sentence that the opposition has said and

repeats that sentence in a mocking tone

or 

does an exaggerated, mocking impression of that person.

This is very effective because it is easy to do.

And this humor technique

can be combined with other fallacies for a greater effect.  

For example,

this humor technique

is often used with

an ad hominem fallacy or a strawman fallacy or the

bandwagon fallacy.

We need to be alert to a person

using humor and sarcasm

to try

to get us to move our opinion about something. 

Humor along with other logical fallacies like

Appeal to Authority

go together to become even more powerful.

And note that people influence our emotions

by speaking certain words to us. 

Words such as

 " Nobody would ever do such a thing "

are powerful movers of our emotions.

-

Take note if

someone

is trying to use emotional words

to make you think

that by

making a good decision,

you will be

isolated from the group.

As people spiritually mature,

they realize that

they will sometimes have to make

unpopular decisions

in order to make wise decisions.

More about Science

You will often experience people using the technique 

Appeal to Authority

to try to influence you.

I submit to you that it is wise to remember that

Science Information

changes.

So I encourage you

to not be quickly swayed

by a commercial

that relies on medical experts or other authorities.

Instead,

use your critical thinking skills.

And

also consider

doing your own research - 

if you think

the decision is an important one. 

Examples of - Science knowledge > >  changing

Here is an

example   or    "eggs - amble"

to remind you that Science is always changing.

Scientists

get things wrong ALL THE TIME.

Science is always changing.

For a simple example -

EGGS

During my life,

scientists

have changed their "truth" over and over

about the topic -

Are eggs good for you? 

Answers have been:

Yes - then years later No - then years later
whites are ok but yolks are bad -
then years later eggs are good in moderation - and right now the subject is in flux and will probably change soon.

Each time the scientists' answer to that question was given to us earnestly as

"NOW we have the true answer. Previously we didn't know."

I've lived long enough to totally realize that

what "Science says" today,

will probably

be significantly  or  totally  the opposite

of what "Science said"  20 years ago.

Here

is a July 2025 article

about a recent egg study.

Cut & Paste in browser:

https://studyfinds.org/eggs-can-help-lower-cholesterol-surprising-study/

It says,

For most healthy adults,

eating eggs as part of a diet low in saturated fat

appears not just harmless

but

potentially beneficial for cholesterol management.

Carter, S., Hill, A.M., Yandell, C., Wood, L., Coates, A.M., & Buckley, J.D. (2025). “Impact of dietary cholesterol from eggs and saturated fat on LDL cholesterol levels: a randomized cross-over study,” published in July 2025 edition of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 122, 83–91. The study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT05267522.

More about Science

Another example:

Low - dose aspirin was heavily pushed by doctors for all senior citizens for years.

Yet about 10 years ago, I saw articles about prestigious medical studies that concluded that aspirin was shown to do nothing to prevent strokes or heart issues but it was shown to increase macular degeneration. I sent those articles to several senior citizens that I knew at the time. 

However, today, there has been more research. So the current findings may be different. Today, it may show that aspirin is helpful to prevent strokes and heart issues. 

Doing this page, I remembered that incident. So, I quickly found this article for you as another example of medical opinions of  medical authorities not always staying the same.

The study linked below appears to say that aspirin may help some seniors but not others.

New studies sometimes show opposite results from older studies. By reading the article below, you may or may not think that low - dose aspirin is a good idea. The article below does not address macular degeneration.

cut & paste in your browser -

https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/daily-aspirin-shows-no-benefit-healthy-older-adults

My point is that

doctors sometimes highly recommend something

that later is shown in tests

not to work

and sometimes later shown to even 

be detrimental.

And note that

future studies might refute our current studies of today.

Science knowledge is always changing.

So -

people need to not only listen to their doctor

but also do their own research

and

make informed, prayerful choices.

Doctors are

human beings doing the best they can.

So reality tells me,

we are all responsible for our health choices.

The

NEXT Technique

I'll highlight

is called

The Strawman Argument

A strawman is a fake man put on a wooden post in a vegetable garden. It is used to try to make crows think a man is in the garden, and he is guarding the garden from them.

This technique

is when

someone takes an argument and misrepresents it

so

it is easier to attack.

A strawman

is a fake man instead of a real man.

So

this is about fighting a fake argument

instead of addressing the argument your opponent is presenting. 

-

Next

A Strawman Argument example

A man preparing a menu

for a business breakfast meeting says,

" I think our group should have pancakes for breakfast."

A second man says,

" Oh, so what you're saying is that you HATE waffles."

At the end of the video

the boy says,

"You still haven't convinced me."

The man says,

"I'm not after you; I'm after them."

The man means that

he is trying to change the minds of people who listen

to the two of them debate.

The man is saying that

he knows he can't change the boy's opinion

but

he can sway others who are listening

to think

he won the argument

if

he can win the argument of a different issue.

~ ~ ~

When someone does not want to lose a debate,

he or she is often heard using the strawman technique

in order to appear to have won.

Could it be that "Pride" is often part of the reason

someone uses the "strawman argument"? 

PRIDE

Strawman

video example

Notice that the little boy is grinning.

He knows this is all pretending -  and they are being playful and fun.

Another quick

Strawman video

Strawman Arguments

are often used

during

political

discussions and debates.

Consider watching

a news show that features

two opposing opinions

and notice

if

you hear anyone using a Strawman Argument.

And -

Listen for

other logical fallacies as you listen to the 

two sides.

The News 

Teens and adults

often need

some tips and insights

to protect them

from being unknowingly swayed

when they listen to

"The News."

Let's

Examine

TV newscasters.

Do they all do independent research for accuracy?

Are they influenced by the leadership of the station?

The video above

gives us evidence that

the leadership of news stations

decide what is said.

And it also gives evidence that the leadership

promotes

certain

words, phrases, and agendas.

The video

illustrates

how certain words, phrases, and ideas

can suddenly

originate

in society. 

Note that

" The News Media "

sometimes expose

their bias and agenda

by certain words or phrases.

Examples:

Let's say that a News outlet

says the following words in blue.

Politician Smith refuses to listen to reason.

That sentence probably means that the news station

does not like the views of Politician Smith.

That choice of words

shows that the station is promoting the idea that

he does not have a "reasonable" view.

That sentence is an opinion instead of a fact.

Politician Smith continues his rant about foreign aid.

That probably means the news station

does not like Politician Smith's position on foreign aid.

"Rant" is a negative word that shows bias.

This statement does not promote

examining and analyzing facts.

Politician Smith continues his hostile comments

about the proposed legislation.

That probably means the news station does not like

Politician Smith's comments about the proposed legislation.

"Hostile" is a negative word

that was chosen to stir an emotional reaction.

The sentences in blue

contain loaded words

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loaded_language

Often news stories

just add one word - an adjective - and

that word slants the entire sentence. 

Notice the last example.

Just adding the adjective "hostile" totally

exposes the news station's opinion. 

Yet most people who are listening to this station

will think this sentence is unbiased.

Why?

The answer needs several sentences.

Here is the answer:

Most of the time, people listen to a newscast that

represents their views. 

Why?

Because it is enjoyable to listen

to a newscast that represents your views.

And the enjoyment we feel,

overrides our desire to analyze the bias message we are hearing.

My goal is to simply urge you to take note that those words

are biased,

and lack

evidence of even-handed reporting. 

Awareness of what is happening -  promotes Logic.

The side the newscast is promoting

may be the best side,

but even so,

it is good to be able to admit

that the coverage is not even-handed.

Because - Again I repeat...

Awareness of what is happening -  promotes Logic.

More Examples

Senator Wang has been unreasonable

during the budget negotiation.

It appears that the news station does not like

Senator Wang's position.

"Unreasonable" is an opinion, but they refer to it like a fact.

Senator Wang just gave another divisive statement that

has shocked his constituents.

It appears that the news station does not like

Senator Wang's statement.

And the next thing to happen is probably video of people in his state

saying to the news' camera that they do not like the statement.

Showing a lot of people agreeing with the news station's reporting

is an example of 

The Bandwagon Technique.

Let's do a

Quick Pop Quiz

Which logical fallacy is being used?

God wants us to use godly principles

in order to

make

good decisions.

Reading the book of  Proverbs gives us great insights

and makes us 

wiser.

God wants us to use

HIS Word

to figure out

what is right and wrong.

So if  the topic

concerns a moral issue -

look to the Bible.

-

And to develop greater wisdom - read Proverbs!

Advertisers want to

persuade you to buy their product.

You need

logic and a sound mind

to make good buying decisions.

We learn

by repetition and reviewing.

Let's

do

a

review.

As you will soon realize, this was made as a video for professionals.

But you can gain lots of insights as you watch.

I encourage you to

Teach your brain to recognize logical fallacies.

But

Be a good friend.

Don't drive your friends

crazy

by pointing their logical fallacies out to them!

They won't like it!!

Below

I have

some new information and some review information.

-

A parent might want to call out each one

and ask if the teen can define it.

Then the parent might want to share with the teen

any new information that I provided.

1.

Appeal to emotion (This is stirring emotions such as fear, guilt, sadness, anger, or hope -  in order to bypass logic - and get someone to buy something or do something or accept a certain political stance, etc.) 

Example - If you don't buy this dog food, your beloved pet will suffer with poor health.  

Example - If you don't buy the latest smart phone, you will feel sad and left out.

Example - If you don't support this cause, you will feel guilty later.

Those statements may or may not be true. Use logic, godly reasoning, and prayer when making an important decision.

2.

Strawman argument - It is when someone takes an argument and misrepresents it so it is easier to attack. It is often used to appear to win an argument.

3.

Bandwagon fallacy - Technique that says - Something is true because it is popular.

Example  - A commercial might say, "Millions believe this is the best one to buy."

Beth of this page says - Maybe millions do believe that. But it may or may not be true.
 Consider this - Those living in Noah's time might have been numbered in the hundreds of thousands or even a million. 
But only  8  people recognized the Truth that a flood was coming and they need to follow God and get on board the ark.

4.

False dilemma - This technique only presents two extreme choices when there are other choices available.

A false dilemma is often used to shut down debate - because alternate options would continue debate.

5.

Ad hominem Attack  - It is the attack of the other person and not the idea the other person is presenting.
It can be attacking their character, their intelligence, their motives, or their personal appearance. 

Example: If you don't agree with me, you are stupid.

6.

Appeal to Authority  ( Dr. Such and Such says it, so it must be true.)

When you hear a sentence that starts off with

"experts say" 

you might want your internal fallacy meter to be on alert.

7.

Slippery Slope ( If you do this, terrible, extreme things will happen. )

Example https://youtu.be/SmgvHz_EK6M?si=Wtqtg6Sw4W8o6y_y

Beth of this page says - "Terrible things potentially happening - may or may not be true. Use your logic, godly wisdom, and prayer when making an important decision. Also note that you have trusted parents or guardians who can help you.

Protection Note:

Men who abuse children will often tell them that if they tell anyone, terrible things will happen - a bad person will often say that he will hurt their parents if they tell. Teens Take Note: Loving parents and guardians will protect you from abusive people. Tell them if you are  ever threatened for any reason. They are adults. They have ways of protecting you and themselves. 

8.

Hasty generalization -  Example: Two politicians lied so they are all liars.

9. 

Red Herring - It is changing the subject in a debate or discussion.

Example of this is the statement, "Why are we worried about this when there are so many other more important things to worry about."

Example:

A parent says, " We need to talk about your ungodly attitude."

The teen charismatically says, " Hey, first - did you see what happened with (your favorite sports team?) or (your favorite famous person?) "

10.

Transfer - Example - A commercial might say or imply - "Ice cream is delicious and so is this new drink we want you to try."  

11.

False Equivalence - It is comparing two things as equal and doing it in a way that neglects big differences. This technique is often used by people to change another person's views or at least soften another person's stance against something.  

Someone might say, "Lying to your teacher is just as bad as shooting someone with a gun. Both are sins. So you shouldn't be so lame in how you are talking about that man who just got arrested for murder."

Beth who wrote this page says,
"We need to think logically and biblically - Both are sins, however, the consequences of each of those sins is dramatically different. "

Another example - 

Someone might say,  "Thinking about having sex with a married person is as bad as having sex with a married person. They are both sins. And you have already thought about having sex with him/ her. So you might as well have sex with him/ her." 

Beth repeats that - " Both are sins, however, the consequences of  each of those two sins are dramatically different. "

This false equivalence technique is often used to get teens  - or adults - to go down wrong paths and do sinful or dangerous things.

We have almost come to the

Finish Line

of this page.

-

Note that

we plan to have

one or two more pages

on this topic for parents of teens.

-

Please use our contact us button

at the bottom of the page

to get an e-mail when they are available.

-

We would also

appreciate

hearing from you about your thoughts on this page.

In Conclusion

God tells us to

gain wisdom and understanding. 

I hope this page helps you

to help your teen

to see through tactics

that are being used daily

to influence us

without our awareness.

Other pages for helping Teens - 

Guiding Teens

Helping Teens

Teach Teens to Discern

was presented in October 2025