Researchers at Michigan State University have found a connection between overuse of social media and believing misinformation and fake news.
MSU associate professor Dar Meshi is one of the leaders of the study. He says using social media too much can lead to almost addiction level dependency.
“The greater someone’s problematic social media use, the more risky their decisions are, the more impulsive their decisions are,” Meshi said. “This very much parallels with individuals with substance use disorders. And then recently I saw some research where the greater one’s impulsivity, the more likely they are to believe and engage with misinformation.”
Meshi says younger people tend to fall for more fake news than older people. Those that took part in the study were in the 18 to 26 age range.
