A New Study's Surprising Insights into the Vulnerability of Gen Z and Millennials to Fake News
In the age of digital information, the spread of fake news has become a significant challenge, posing a threat to the democratic process and public discourse.
A recent study conducted by psychologists at the University of Cambridge has shed light on the susceptibility of different age groups to misinformation. Contrary to prevailing assumptions, the research reveals that younger adults, particularly those from Generation Z and Millennials, are more prone to being misled by fabricated news.
"Misinformation is one of the biggest challenges facing democracies in the digital age," says Prof Sander van der Linden, head of the Cambridge Social Decision-Making Lab. "We are seeing how online falsehoods create polarized belief systems in major nations, and the consequences, such as the attempted Capitol Hill insurrection."
To assess individuals' vulnerability to fake news, researchers at the University of Cambridge developed the Misinformation Susceptibility Test (MIST). Through a series of experiments involving over 8,000 participants, the MIST has been validated as an effective tool for measuring susceptibility to fabricated headlines. In collaboration with polling organization YouGov, the MIST was deployed to gauge Americans' vulnerability to fake news.
"When we needed a set of convincing but false headlines, we turned to GPT technology. The AI generated thousands of fake headlines in a matter of seconds. As researchers dedicated to fighting misinformation, it was eye-opening and alarming," said Dr. Rakoen Maertens, MIST’s lead author.
The study's results revealed a concerning trend among younger adults. In the survey, only 11 percent of 18 to 29-year-olds achieved high scores on the MIST, correctly identifying more than 16 headlines as real or fake. In contrast, 36 percent of those aged 65 or older achieved high scores. These findings challenge the notion that older generations, often considered less digitally savvy, are more susceptible to fake news. The younger demographic's struggle to discern real news from misinformation highlights the urgent need for targeted interventions and improved media literacy programs.
One major factor that separates Millennials and Gen Z from Gen X and Baby Boomers is the use of social media or other recreational sites that invite the sharing of ideas and articles, regardless of authenticity or validity. The study found that the more time individuals spent online for leisure purposes, the less likely they were to differentiate between real and false headlines. Those spending 0–2 hours online for recreation daily were twice as likely to achieve high scores on the MIST compared to those spending 9 or more hours online.
Traditional media outlets, commonly referred to as "legacy media," were also more likely to appeal to Gen X and Boomer participants than to Millennial or Gen Z participants. Consumers of news from respected sources such as The Associated Press, NPR, Axios, and others achieved higher scores on the MIST while users who relied on social media platforms (i.e. Snapchat, Truth Social, WhatsApp, TikTok, and Instagram) for their news demonstrated lower scores, indicating a higher susceptibility to fake news.
The study revealed a disparity in susceptibility based on United States political party affiliation. Democrats performed better on the MIST compared to Republicans, with 33 percent of Democrats achieving high scores versus only 14 percent of Republicans. However, a significant proportion of followers from both parties fell into the low-scoring bracket, underscoring the depth of the problem and the alarming rate with which susceptibility to fake news has expanded over just the past ten years or so.
How can we counteract this? For one, media literacy programs and educational initiatives to provide participants with a basic understanding of vetting articles must be tailored to work with younger generations. Access to these programs and initiatives must also be ramped up as soon as possible—part of the issue is that these programs are not provided in schools or affordably for young people to participate. Additionally, social media platforms must take responsibility by implementing algorithmic changes and fostering transparent information environments that prioritize accuracy over sensationalism, or else the government must step in to regulate the spread of fake news media.
The University of Cambridge's research has led to a new, inevitable step: the public can now test themselves on the 20 point test to see what their level of information literacy is and how it can be improved. But will the average person honor these suggestions? As distrust in news media grows, and confirmation bias becomes more prevalent in how individuals filter out their news stories, susceptibility to fake news has the potential to grow exponentially, which is bad news for the future of information globally.
