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Figure 1
88.4% (n=99) of respondents have used Instagram Reels. 69.6% of respondents (n=78) reported using TikTok, and 58.9% (n=66) of respondents have used Facebook Video. 52.7% (n=59) Of respondents have used YouTube Shorts, and only 21.4% (n=24) have used Snapchat Spotlight.
The most common type of misinformation online is related to racism, with 84.1% (n=95) of participants reporting they have seen racist content. The prevalence of this content was trailed by COVID-19 Vaccination theories at 83.2% (n=94), and Climate Change theories at 79.6% (n=90). The least representation was seen with theories surrounding the Titanic, with only 36.3% of participants viewing this content (n=41) (Figure 1).
57% of respondents (n=64) have seen political content on Instagram Reels. 50% of respondents (n=56) have seen political information on TikTok. Only 11.6% (n=13) of respondents reported not seeing political content on any of the platforms. Only 5.4% (n=6) of participants signified that they did not see any information that they suspected to be misinformation on these platforms.
When implementing questions about the presence of misinformed content online, the data was very telling. Out of 112 respondents, 57.1% (n=64) saw potentially misinformed content on TikTok, 56.2% (n=63) on Facebook Video, 60.7% (n=68) on Instagram Reels, 30.4% (n=34) on YouTube Shorts, and 14.3% (n=16) on Snapchat Spotlight (Figure 2).
The high exposure to misinformation on platforms like Instagram Reels and Facebook Video suggests a critical need for these platforms to implement more robust fact-checking and misinformation control measures. The fact that 60.7% of participants identified Instagram Reels as a source of misinformation indicates a significant issue with content viewed on these platforms. This can have serious repercussions, not just on individual beliefs but also on broader societal trust in digital information sources.
The finding that 58% of people have become distrustful of everyday information due to misinformation on social media underscores the transformative impact of social media on public discourse and individual political actions, such as voting and protest participation. The change in protest participation and voting habits due to misinformation exposure is particularly telling of the powerful role that social media plays in political mobilization and polarization.
Over half of the study's participants reported that their trust in the content they see has been negatively affected by their exposure to misinformation. This "trust issue" is a profound societal concern, as it can lead to skepticism of authoritative sources and expertise, potentially undermining democratic processes and informed decision-making
The results of this survey also suggests that the information people see on social media is impactful to their decisions and behavior. As seen in Figure 3, only 21.4% (n=24) of consumers reported no change in their behavior as a result of the content they see on social media. 10.1% (n=12) of participants’ voting habits/preferences change as a result of the content they see on social media. 40.2% (n=45) of surveyees noted that their participation in political protests or marches had changed. 32.1% (n=36) of participants who follow or engage with political influencers online, and 52.7% (n=59) of consumers consider themselves to be more well-versed in current events as a result of informational consumption on social media. In addition to all of this, 58% (n=65) of participants are more distrustful of the information they see online because of the misinformation that is so prevalent in online social media. Though they are more distrustful, many people still are highly susceptible to believing in theories on historical events. As can be seen in Figure 4, only 57.1% (n=64) of participants stated that the content they see on short-form social media has not at all changed their beliefs on theories in regard to historical events.
Considering that over 40% of participants indicated that social media content has influenced their beliefs about historical events, there's a clear need for educational strategies that enhance critical viewing skills. Media literacy education could focus more intensely on helping individuals recognize biases and identify misinformation, particularly in engaging formats like short videos.
The perceived threat of conspiracy theories is also an interesting analytical standpoint when comparing across age groups. It can be seen in Figure 5 that those 35-54 years of age and those 55+ are more likely to believe that conspiracy theories are damaging to society. 97% (n=32) of those aged 55 and older believed that conspiracy theories are damaging to society. Participants aged 35-54 also skewed in this direction at 90.5% (n=19) believing that conspiracy theories are harmful to society. None of the participants in the 35-54 and 55+ age groups (n=0) believed that conspiracy theories are definitely harmless. 9.7% (n=3) of those aged 18-24 believed that conspiracy theories were probably harmless to society.
The stark contrast in perceptions between different age groups, with older individuals viewing conspiracy theories as more harmful, highlights a generational divide in media literacy and trust. This could reflect differing levels of digital literacy and varying degrees of susceptibility to misinformation, suggesting a need for targeted educational campaigns that address these generational gaps.
The perception of risk can also be analyzed while considering the political affiliation of the opinionated party. It can be recognized that 69.7% (n=46) of Democrats think that conspiracy theories definitely have a negative impact on society, while only 13.3% (n=2) of Republicans take this same stance (Figure 6). On the opposite end of the spectrum, 26.7% (n=4) of Republicans believe that conspiracy theories are unlikely to negatively affect society, while only 1.5% (n=1) of Democrats believe that conspiracy theories do not have a negative impact. People who identify as moderate on the political spectrum are most likely to be unsure about the impact of conspiracy theories on society, at 16.7% (n=3).
The disparity in views between political affiliations about the harm caused by conspiracy theories suggests that political ideology heavily influences how individuals process information and misinformation. This polarization can lead to significant societal divides, making it challenging to achieve consensus on what constitutes factual or credible information.
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