A Stanford study finds that " that students were easily deceived by sponsored content and fake accounts" (The study also included Stanford students)
http://www.stanforddaily.com/2016/12/16/study-finds-students-unable-to-identify-fake-news/
In a world where people get a phone call from the “IRS”, go out and buy $15,000 in iTunes cards and call them back and give them the number to pay off a tax debt, I am not the least surprised.
Here’s another thread on the same subject
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/20067807#Comment_20067807
I was getting nothing but “fake news” from just about everywhere on Nov 7!
http://www.journalism.org/2016/12/15/many-americans-believe-fake-news-is-sowing-confusion/
There is not much partisan difference in polled opinions about fake news.
However, that survey did not try to see if there was partisan difference in how respondents judged specific stories as true or fake. It is entirely possible that many will make such judgement based on how well the story conforms to their partisan beliefs, rather than whether it is true.
There are no totally trustworthy sources (hello Brian Williams and Dan Rather).
If I read this book correctly, those who believe fake news are lack of critical thinking skills: A Field Guide to Lies: Critical Thinking in the Information Age ( https://www.amazon.com/Field-Guide-Lies-Critical-Information-ebook/dp/B01AHKXJ4Q ). The book was out a few months back.
Most young people are certainly better than some adults.
And like I’ve posted on that other thread, IME…the vast majority of people I knew who believed and passed on fake news via email/FB tend to be middle aged and older…50 somethings and up.
And those who tend to correct them/point out the news is fake tend to be younger folks…especially millennials and even HS/middle school aged students.
https://www.ipsos-mori.com/researchpublications/researcharchive/3817/Perceptions-are-not-reality-what-the-world-gets-wrong.aspx surveyed people on various topics to see how perceptions matched or did not match with reality.
For example, people in the US believe on average that 48% are against abortion, basically the same as 49% against abortion in surveys. But people in the US believe on average that the poorest 70% own 28% of the wealth, while the actual percentage is 7%. People in the US also believe that 31% of GDP is spent on health care, even though “only” 18% is.
this is old news
Wonder what percent of non-students can’t recognize fake news?
I think a sizable minority of all people believe fake news - even people in positions of power and/or in the 1%.
not sure why this is surprising. Many/most folks don’t have very good critical thinking skills, except cc posters!
(That is one reason why law schools can advertise that they teach students how to think like a lawyer. Essentially, what they are really saying is that students learn the critical thinking skills that they had not learned thru HS and college.)
If you ever have been closely involved in a situation that ended up being reported in the news you would never believe with certainty any report you read or hear again.
^Exactly, Tom! Every time I’ve been in that situation, there has been at least one error. Sometimes minor, but sometimes not.
@tom1944 : This is something I’ve been saying for over 30 years! And I grew up in a family of journalists.