Communications of the ACM
Younger People, Users of Niche Social Media Platforms More Likely to Share Covid-19 Disinformation
A new study by researchers at Cardiff University found that Covid-19 disinformation is more likely to be shared by younger people and those who use smaller social media platforms.
Credit: Cardiff University News
Researchers at Cardiff University in Wales surveyed 722 U.K. citizens between March 21 and April 5, 2020, and found that Covid-19 disinformation is more likely to be shared by younger people and those who use smaller social media platforms.
The team found that 51% of respondents said they had seen disinformation or fake news about the pandemic in the past month, and that 79% of that group agreed they see false stories more regularly than in the past.
In addition, 12% of those surveyed reported they had shared coronavirus disinformation with others in the past month. Of the group that shared disinformation, 28% were aged 18-29, 25% were aged 30-39, 15% were aged 40-49, and another 15% were aged 50-59.
Respondents who were active on widely used social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter were much less likely to have shared disinformation than those who used other platforms, according to the study.
From Cardiff University News
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Abstracts Copyright © 2020 SmithBucklin, Washington, DC, USA
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