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A Statistical Examination of Information Seeking and Misinformation Exposure on Social Media |
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PP: 219-234 |
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doi:10.18576/jsap/150205
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Author(s) |
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Misbah Ul Huda,
Abduraoof A. Ismail,
Viju Mathew,
Varghese Riju Joshua,
Khusbu Thakur,
Aseel Smerat,
Amir Ahmad Dar,
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Abstract |
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| In the present age of rampant misinformation, social media has become a primary source of information among the young generation. This study examines how students obtain information from social media platforms as they navigate the complex information landscape. A survey conducted among 121 students at Lovely Professional University was analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Anderson-Darling test, the T-test, ANOVA and the Chi-Square test. The results revealed that information seeking was the most important reason for using social media. There is no significant difference in information-seeking behaviour among males and females or Indian and international students. However, while seeking information, the possibility of coming across misinformation remains. The results suggested fake news, misleading content, political information and conspiracy theories as the most prevalent misinformation available on social media platforms. Nonetheless, when it comes to combating misinformation, users have suggested measures such as fact- checking, improved algorithms, utilizing artificial intelligence, promoting credible sources, and gatekeeping to address misinformation. The importance of digital literacy and acting as responsible netizens was also highlighted. This research contributes to the understanding that information seeking on social media is not influenced by either gender or nationality, thereby challenging assumptions regarding demographics having any effect on the digital behaviour of users. Various Stakeholders, including educators, librarians, policymakers, and social media platform designers, can utilise these insights to encourage information seeking while countering misinformation. |
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