Information re-sharing on social network sites in the age of fake news

Abstract

Aim/Purpose In the light of the recent attention to the role of social media in the dissemination of fake news, it is important to understand the relationship between the character-istics of the social media content and re-sharing behavior. This study seeks to ex-amine individual level antecedents of information re-sharing behavior including individual beliefs about the quality of information available on social network sites (SNSs), attitude towards SNS use and risk perceptions and attitudes. Methodology Testing the research model by data collected through surveys that were adminis-tered to test the research model. Data was collected from undergraduate students in a public university in the US. Contribution This study contributes to theory in Information Systems by addressing the issue of information quality in the context of information re-sharing on social media. This study has important practical implications for SNS users and providers alike. Ensuring that information available on SNS is of high quality is critical to main-taining a healthy user base. Findings Results indicate that attitude toward using SNSs and intention to re-share infor-mation on SNSs is influenced by perceived information quality (enjoyment, rele-vance, and reliability). Also, risk-taking propensity and enjoyment influence the intention to re-share information on SNSs in a positive direction. Future Research In the dynamic context of SNSs, the role played by quality of information is changing. Understanding changes in quality of information by conducting longi-tudinal studies and experiments and including the role of habits is necessary.