Dissemination of Fake News on Social Media: A Demographic Analysis of Audience Involvement

Abstract

Social media users continue to threaten privacy with the spread of fake news thus impacting people negatively. This study seeks not just to reveal the predominant demography of Nigerians who spread false information, but also to access how the decision to verify and share such information is made. The cluster and systematic sampling method were used to select respondents from selected geopolitical zones in Nigeria. The study revealed that adults between ages 21-35 and 36-50 spread misinformation on social media platforms, and those in the latter age range would not verify before sharing on Whatsapp and Facebook. It recommends that the public needs to be educated on information verification, and the government and concerned organisations need to enforce laws necessary to discourage the spread of misinformation.