Youth exposure to disinformation in social media platforms

Abstract

Purpose: This study examines how young people experience disinformation and the role of librarians in helping them combat it by developing media and information literacy skills. Method: The study employed a mixed-method approach, combining quantitative data from 188 young people's opinions and qualitative insights from 17 experienced librarians working with youth in academic libraries. Findings: The study highlights the prevalence of confirmation bias, the tendency to share information, and the impact of source credibility. It underscores the importance of promoting critical thinking skills to combat misinformation on social media platforms. Librarians play a crucial role in this effort by advocating for media literacy and encouraging critical thinking among users. Implication: The study can help design digital literacy programs, media literacy campaigns, and measures by media organizations and policymakers to address mis and disinformation, promote critical thinking, and enhance information quality on social media. Library professionals can lead CoPs to combat social media disinformation through collaboration and media literacy training, especially for library users.