Adolescents, Media Literacy, and Misinformation: The Cognitive Challenges of Fake News Detection
Adolescents, Media Literacy, and Misinformation: The Cognitive Challenges of Fake News Detection

Summary/Abstract: The spread of misinformation on social media among adolescents presents a critical societal challenge due to their cognitive vulnerabilities. This study examines whether analytical thinking influences fake news detection and whether this relationship is shaped by awareness of fact-checkers, following fact-checkers, and perceived credibility of fact-checkers. Using a quantitative approach, we surveyed 162 adolescents. The findings indicate a pronounced floor effect, with most participants exhibiting very low analytical reasoning and poor misinformation discernment. The lack of variance in these cognitive dimensions suggests that adolescents may rely more on heuristic processing rather than analytical reasoning when dealing and evaluating misinformation. This pattern raises concerns about their ability to critically assess online content, emphasizing the importance of cognitive skills in digital media literacy. These results highlight a systemic challenge in adolescent engagement with misinformation, reinforcing the need to address analytical reasoning deficits in educational contexts. Targeted educational interventions are needed to bridge these cognitive skills gaps and enhance misinformation resilience among adolescents.

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