Which Type of Misinformation Is the Hardest to Detect? Gender and Age-Group Differences in Fake News Consumption on Social Media

Vera Paola Shoda
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Vera Paola Shoda: Research Institute for Economics and Business Administration and Center for Computational Social Science, Kobe University, JAPAN

No DP2023-20, Discussion Paper Series from Research Institute for Economics & Business Administration, Kobe University

Abstract: Fake news represents a global challenge and have adverse effects on society. Detecting misinformation, particularly on social media, poses a significant challenge. However, research does not distinguish between the different types of misinformation and groups it into one broad category "fake news". To address the existing gap in the literature, this study conducted an online survey involving a representative sample of the U.S. population regarding the various forms of misinformation – fabricated content, manipulated content, imposter content, misleading content, false context, satire or parody, false connections, sponsored content, and propaganda. The findings indicate that satire or parody are the most easily discernible forms of misinformation, whereas people encounter the greatest challenge in identifying false contexts. Furthermore, disparities among adult age groups were observed in the ability to discern imposter content and sponsored content. Finally, differences in terms of gender and age-groups with regards to misinformation consumption on social media are discussed.

Keywords: Fake news; Misinformation; Social media; Detection; Age; Gender (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 12 pages
Date: 2023-10
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