A survey of 2,778 primary and secondary school students in England found that Holocaust content on social media often comes through the feed rather than through a targeted search, and that some students hold basic misconceptions
Today, January 27, 2026, marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day — a date set by the United Nations to commemorate the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau on January 27, 1945, and to emphasize the importance of Holocaust commemoration and education. Against this backdrop, a study published in December 2025 by the Holocaust Education Center of the UCL University In London offers a quantitative glimpse into a troubling question: how teenagers encounter the Holocaust in the age of the algorithmic feed—and what impact it has on their knowledge.
Research methodology
Researchers from the UCL Holocaust Education Centre in London surveyed 2,778 students in 21 secondary schools in England, with 83.9% of respondents in grades 8-9. The researchers compared some of the findings to a larger 2016 survey of 7,952 students, allowing for the identification of trends over time.
The study is part of a series of "digests" that the center is publishing during 2025-2026, with the aim of tracking students' knowledge, perceptions, sources of information, and trust surrounding the Holocaust - in and out of school.
Unintentional Exposure: The Feed as a Primary Source of Information
The most central and disturbing finding is the extent of unintentional exposure: 59.4% of students reported seeing information about the Holocaust on social media when they were not looking for it. In other words, Holocaust content on social media does not just arrive through a history lesson or a proactive search, but often “landes” in the user’s personal feed.
When looking at the different platforms, TikTok leads by a significant margin: 66.4% of unintended exposure was reported there, compared to 36.9% on YouTube and 19.1% on Instagram.
Gaps in trust and understanding
Along with widespread exposure, the study identifies worrying gaps in trust and knowledge. Of the students who encountered content about the Holocaust online, 21.1% reported “quite a lot” or “a lot” of trust in social media as a source of information, and 38.0% said they had “little or no trust” in their teachers.
The problem is not only the source of the information, but also the quality of historical understanding. 33.6% of students attributed sole responsibility for the Holocaust to Hitler alone—a perception that obscures the broad network of partnership, involvement, and cooperation that characterized the perpetration of the Holocaust in Europe.
According to an article inJewish News Based on the same data, 60% of respondents mistakenly thought that there was a "rule" of "kill or be killed" among German soldiers who refused to participate in the murder of Jews, while only 14.2% correctly identified that those who refused were usually transferred to other positions.
Progress alongside persistent gaps
However, the study also identifies significant improvement in certain aspects. The correct definition of “anti-Semitism” rose dramatically from 28.3% in 2016 to 75.2% in 2025—an improvement that indicates growing awareness of the phenomenon.
Dr Andy Pearce, director of the UCL Holocaust Education Centre, said of the findings: “Our findings should serve as a warning. Students come to class with misconceptions about the Holocaust, shaped in part by misinformation they encounter on social media. Often, this content is presented to them without them having sought it out.”
The broader context: denial and distortion online
Concerns about unverified Holocaust content on social media are not unique to the UK. A report by UNESCO and the United Nations On Holocaust denial and distortion on social media, it was found that almost half of all content on public Telegram channels discussing the Holocaust includes denial or distortion of its history, and these posts are easily accessible to those searching for information about the Holocaust on the platform.
This connects two worlds: on the one hand, an international date that emphasizes the importance of education and commemoration; on the other, a reality in which students arrive in class after encountering unverified content, sometimes without sufficient tools to distinguish between fact, interpretation, and manipulation.
Structural challenges in the education system
The research also highlights ongoing structural pressures on schools that make it difficult to provide quality Holocaust education. While the Holocaust has been a mandatory subject in the National History Curriculum since 1991, the rapid growth of multi-academy trusts means that most schools are no longer legally required to follow the same curriculum.
In addition, teachers report that curriculum time is under increasing pressure, especially in places that have adopted a shortened two-year Key Stage 3. 42.8% of teachers in the Center’s 2023 study reported difficulties teaching the Holocaust to grades 7-8 within a two-year program.
Ways of coping and recommendations
Dr. Pearce emphasized: "The recent recommendation of the Curriculum Review and Evaluation to maintain compulsory Holocaust teaching at Key Stage 3 is commendable, but it must be backed up by sufficient curriculum time and specialized professional development for teachers. This is how students' knowledge can be improved and misconceptions combated."
The UCL findings point in a clear direction: alongside in-depth study of history, there is a need to teach digital information literacy around the Holocaust — how to check sources, how to identify misleading framing, and what the difference is between testimony, historical research, personal opinion, and propaganda.
The research is based on four major national studies conducted by the Center since 2008, involving more than 3,000 teachers and 12,000 students, making it the largest ongoing empirical research program of its kind in the world in the field of Holocaust education.
More of the topic in Hayadan:
3 תגובות
Because behind anti-science and anti-reason stands a lot of money – the modern God.
Why can't we demand that digital platform owners filter out false or harmful content? And not just in Holocaust denial, but also in many other important issues, such as opposition to life-saving vaccines or violent content!
Is it any wonder that the Israeli media accuses the IDF, the government, and the Jews in Judea and Samaria of Nazi behavior? What should we expect from the world?