Children’s Language News: Opinion against Fact – Is Everything There are two sides

Articles are an appropriate way for children to get acquainted with what is happening in society and a good occasion for conversation (and why not a dispute) in the family on them. Because of the age of the readers for whom the section was intended, the editorial office decided to close the articles for comment.

Why are we talking about it?

More than ever, it is important to sift out the facts of opinions.

There are two (or more) views on many topics. The answers are often in the gray area between black and white. But not all topics. There are things that are true and those that are not.

Are there always two sides?

Imagine you quarreled with your classmate. He is so angry that he wants to expose you. He tells the class that you broke his phone. The display is cracked. You know you didn’t even be at school that day. But some children believe him. Do you think there are « two sides » in this situation?

In the example above, you know the answer. But how do we understand what is true in history for another person? Or in an article? Or a book? What if the topic is very complicated? How do you know what is true if your head hurts only from reading the entangled words?

Facts, facts, facts

It is very important to separate the facts (what is known for sure) from emotions (what we feel) and opinions (what we think has happened). Therefore, good scientists are not interested in if something has been said by famous elderly professors. They are interested in whether the information is reliable. And whether it is supported by many other scientists. If not, personal opinions are irrelevant. It is important what experiments and data say.

A few centuries ago, people thought the sun was rotating around the earth. There was no evidence. Just famous people had an opinion. « Earth is too important – all other celestial bodies must rotate around it. »

However, Galileo Galileo was a scientist – he was not interested in opinions. He collected information about the movement of celestial bodies. He studied. Calculated. He came to the conclusion: « The opposite is, the earth revolves around the sun. » Then he laughed at him, but he turned out to be right.

Do you need to say, « Some people think the sun is rotating around the earth, » if we know for sure it is not true? Is it necessary to invite someone to explain why Earth can be flat, if this is not true?

If a reporter wrote about your school, would you want to write how you broke another child’s phone? Or do you want to check everything first? To see the doctor’s documents that this day was (a) ill (on) at home? And to question other children, since at least 10 saw the phone fall from your friend’s pocket during a match?

What is censorship?

Censorship is the deliberate suspension of opinions and information. If after checking the reporter did not write anything about how you broke your classmate’s phone, is this « censorship »? No, because it didn’t happen. However, if many people ask, it will be important to explain what the check has shown. « A child A claims that B deliberately broke him (a) the phone. But B was not even at school then and 10 friends of A saw the phone fall during a match. »

On some topics, scientists and specialists have already checked. The Earth is not flat and it makes no sense to discuss the opposite.

The less there is talk of incorrect information, the better!