A study suggests that excessive social media use, commonly observed in young people, correlates with a greater tendency to believe and share fake news. Researchers highlighted that problematic use leads to dependence and behavioral addiction, resulting in emotional fluctuations and real-life conflicts. The study assessed 189 participants aged 18-26, showing that those with higher problematic use were more likely to engage with and trust both genuine and false news stories. The findings underscore the need to understand the dynamics of social media's influence on misinformation.
"Researchers found that individuals who experience the most distress from social media are more susceptible to believing and sharing fake news."
"We did it with young people because they are the ones who show higher levels of problematic social media use," explains the researcher.
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