Understanding the Spread of Fake News: An Approach from the Perspective of Young People
The COVID-19 pandemic and the boom of fake news cluttering the internet have revealed the power of social media today. However, young people are not yet aware of their role in the digital age, even though they are the main users of social media. As a result, the belief that older adults are responsi...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-04-01
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| Series: | Informatics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9709/10/2/38 |
| _version_ | 1797594199542988800 |
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| author | Alejandro Valencia-Arias Diana María Arango-Botero Sebastián Cardona-Acevedo Sharon Soledad Paredes Delgado Ada Gallegos |
| author_facet | Alejandro Valencia-Arias Diana María Arango-Botero Sebastián Cardona-Acevedo Sharon Soledad Paredes Delgado Ada Gallegos |
| author_sort | Alejandro Valencia-Arias |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The COVID-19 pandemic and the boom of fake news cluttering the internet have revealed the power of social media today. However, young people are not yet aware of their role in the digital age, even though they are the main users of social media. As a result, the belief that older adults are responsible for information is being re-evaluated. In light of this, the present study was aimed at identifying the factors associated with the spread of fake news among young people in Medellín (Colombia). A total of 404 self-administered questionnaires were processed in a sample of people between the ages of 18 and 34 and analyzed using statistical techniques, such as exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. The results suggest that the instantaneous sharing of fake news is linked to people’s desire to raise awareness among their inner circle, particularly when the messages shared are consistent with their perceptions and beliefs, or to the lack of time to properly verify their accuracy. Finally, passive corrective actions were found to have a less significant impact in the Colombian context than in the context of the original model, which may be explained by cultural factors. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T02:20:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-45478e703942485fbc78500bcf11022f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-9709 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T02:20:16Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Informatics |
| spelling | doaj.art-45478e703942485fbc78500bcf11022f2023-11-18T10:53:59ZengMDPI AGInformatics2227-97092023-04-011023810.3390/informatics10020038Understanding the Spread of Fake News: An Approach from the Perspective of Young PeopleAlejandro Valencia-Arias0Diana María Arango-Botero1Sebastián Cardona-Acevedo2Sharon Soledad Paredes Delgado3Ada Gallegos4Escuela de Ingeniería Industrial, Universidad Señor de Sipán, Chiclayo 14001, PeruDepartamento de Ciencias Administrativas, Instituto Tecnológico Metropolitano, Medellín 050036, ColombiaDepartamento de Ciencias Administrativas, Instituto Tecnológico Metropolitano, Medellín 050036, ColombiaFacultad de Ciencias Empresariales, Universidad Señor de Sipán, Chiclayo 14001, PeruInstituto de Investigación y Estudios de la Mujer, Universidad Ricardo Palma, Lima 15039, PeruThe COVID-19 pandemic and the boom of fake news cluttering the internet have revealed the power of social media today. However, young people are not yet aware of their role in the digital age, even though they are the main users of social media. As a result, the belief that older adults are responsible for information is being re-evaluated. In light of this, the present study was aimed at identifying the factors associated with the spread of fake news among young people in Medellín (Colombia). A total of 404 self-administered questionnaires were processed in a sample of people between the ages of 18 and 34 and analyzed using statistical techniques, such as exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. The results suggest that the instantaneous sharing of fake news is linked to people’s desire to raise awareness among their inner circle, particularly when the messages shared are consistent with their perceptions and beliefs, or to the lack of time to properly verify their accuracy. Finally, passive corrective actions were found to have a less significant impact in the Colombian context than in the context of the original model, which may be explained by cultural factors.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9709/10/2/38new media literaciesnew generationsyoung peopledigital behaviorfake newsfactor analysis |
| spellingShingle | Alejandro Valencia-Arias Diana María Arango-Botero Sebastián Cardona-Acevedo Sharon Soledad Paredes Delgado Ada Gallegos Understanding the Spread of Fake News: An Approach from the Perspective of Young People Informatics new media literacies new generations young people digital behavior fake news factor analysis |
| title | Understanding the Spread of Fake News: An Approach from the Perspective of Young People |
| title_full | Understanding the Spread of Fake News: An Approach from the Perspective of Young People |
| title_fullStr | Understanding the Spread of Fake News: An Approach from the Perspective of Young People |
| title_full_unstemmed | Understanding the Spread of Fake News: An Approach from the Perspective of Young People |
| title_short | Understanding the Spread of Fake News: An Approach from the Perspective of Young People |
| title_sort | understanding the spread of fake news an approach from the perspective of young people |
| topic | new media literacies new generations young people digital behavior fake news factor analysis |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9709/10/2/38 |
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