The Dark Side of Social Media: "Information You Weren't Looking For" About the Holocaust — TikTok as the Most Common Source, a New Challenge for Educational Settings

Opening a smartphone and scrolling aimlessly. Even if you're not intending to study, videos and images, and the next "recommendations" keep flowing. What children encounter there is not just dance and games. A recent UK study has highlighted the reality that **"unverified information" about the Holocaust** is inadvertently reaching students' eyes. Phys.org

"Encountered without searching"—60% on TikTok

The Centre for Holocaust Education at UCL (University College London) conducted a survey of 2,778 students from 21 secondary schools in England (mainly Year 8-9), and found that 59.4% reported seeing Holocaust-related information on social media "without searching" for it. The platform where they encountered this most was TikTok at **66.4%**, followed by YouTube at 36.9%, and Instagram at **19.1%**. University College London

What is important here is that the content "seen" is not limited to educational content. The researchers warn that while there is accurate information, denial, distortion, and conspiracy theories are just "a few clicks away". University College London

Misunderstandings run deeper than "lack of knowledge"—gaps remain in "who" and "why"

The survey also showed areas where understanding has improved. For example, the percentage of those who could correctly define "antisemitism" has significantly increased from the 2016 survey to 2025. University College London

However, misunderstandings are persistent. A symbolic example is the perception of responsibility for the perpetrators, with **33.6% believing "Hitler alone is responsible."** By attributing blame to an individual, the broader "web of perpetrators," including societal cooperation, compliance, bureaucracy, and occupation policies, becomes invisible. University College London

Furthermore, in questions about refusing orders under occupation, strong misconceptions emerged. Such misunderstandings align well with the "strong narratives" of short-form content and clipped explanations. The simplicity of the drama often outweighs the details of the facts. University College London

"Trusting SNS over teachers"—the reality of a tug-of-war in trust

The distribution of trust cannot be overlooked. Among students who "accidentally" encountered Holocaust-related information, there is a certain number who **"trust SNS quite a lot/very much,"** while a portion also reported **"hardly/never trusting teachers."** Schools are not only places to impart knowledge but also to regain trust. University College London

This cannot be simplified to "teachers are bad" or "SNS is bad." Rather, the issue is that SNS has "entered the classroom first." Students do not first encounter the theme in class but have already consumed fragmented or heavily biased information. Teachers are forced to start not from "teaching from zero" but from "unraveling already formed understandings." first. University College London

Curriculum issues—"What should be done" but "not enough time"

In the UK, Holocaust education has long been positioned as part of the history in the national curriculum, but the reality of school organization and timetables poses a barrier. UCL points out that the situation where many schools are not legally bound by the national curriculum due to academization (multi-academy trusts) and the compression of Key Stage 3 makes deep learning difficult. University College London

While the "content to be taught" increases, class time does not. As a result, learning that requires careful attention, such as primary sources, testimonies, the structure of perpetration, and continuity from pre-war to post-war, is more likely to be cut. If fragments from SNS flow in, misunderstandings are reinforced, and corrections become increasingly difficult. University College London

Why is "misinformation" strong?—What denial and distortion aim for

It is important to reconfirm here. Holocaust denial and distortion are not merely "differences of opinion." International and specialized organizations position denial and distortion as linked to antisemitism and capable of justifying hatred through denial of facts and shifting of responsibility. Holocaust Memorial

UNESCO and the UN's research points out that denial and distortion are spreading on SNS, particularly prevalent on platforms like Telegram, and that education and digital literacy can act as a breakwater. UNESCO

Moreover, the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial is conducting initiatives like "Stop Denial," guiding people to refutation resources, considering the current situation where denial can mainly spread on SNS. Auschwitz

What can be done in the classroom?—"Facts" + "Ability to Discern" + "Dialogue"

Countermeasures can be broadly divided into three layers.

① Strengthen the foundation of facts
To resist simplifications like "Hitler alone is the culprit," understanding the structure, including societal cooperation, silence, bureaucracy, and the situation in occupied territories, is essential. Against the fragment-strong SNS, schools should be strong in the "big picture." University College London

② Integrate the ability to discern (digital literacy) into lessons
There are reports that teachers face situations where students "believe online information regardless of its source or accuracy." Therefore, it is necessary to incorporate "source," "editing," "algorithm," and "verification" into history lessons. holocausteducation.org.uk

③ Recover dialogue (trust)
As long as there are responses of "not trusting teachers," correctness alone is not enough. It is necessary to engage in dialogue that accepts students' questions and discomfort, unraveling together why the information seemed appealing and where the leaps in logic are. University College London

Reactions on SNS (emerging trends in discussion points)

This topic has been shared and mentioned on SNS from both the "education" and "platform responsibility" perspectives. For example, on X (formerly Twitter), posts have been observed introducing links with warnings from the article (the gist being that students come to class with misunderstandings derived from SNS). X (formerly Twitter)

Additionally, it has been picked up by curation sites that gather overseas topics, becoming an entry point for dissemination. Buzzing

The recurring discussion points in posts can generally be summarized into the following four (※not definitive quotes from individual posts, but a summary of shared phrases and typical points visible within the public scope).

• "The problem is TikTok's recommendation design": Since it flows even without searching, it cannot be completely prevented by efforts at home or school alone. University College London

• "Regulation vs. Education": Voices calling for age restrictions and stronger moderation versus those prioritizing critical thinking in schools are divided. UNESCO

• "Lack of support for teachers": Sympathy and support demands for the field, where the themes are heavy and misinformation countermeasures are also required amid timetable and curriculum pressures. University College London

• "Denial and distortion are not 'ignorance' but 'tools of hate'": The suggestion that it should be seen not as a historical debate but as a hotbed for discrimination and conspiracy theories. Holocaust Memorial

In conclusion—learning the "recommendation mechanism" to protect "history lessons"

What this survey highlights is not only the fact that Holocaust education has become more difficult but also the question of how schools will redefine their roles in an era where **"learning begins outside the classroom first."** University College London

Learning history does not end with memorizing knowledge. It is an endeavor to think about why people get involved in perpetration and how society can remain silent, based on facts. If the entrance is taken by algorithms, education must deal with not only "content" but also "distribution." Holocaust education is now, at the same time as being history education, education about the information environment.