Putting up roadblocks on the disinformation superhighway – research knowledge enhances young people’s ability to combat disinformation
In digital environments, the flow of disinformation is greater than ever. Content that appeals to the emotions spreads quickly on various platforms, and material produced by AI further increases the load.
The phenomenon concerns young people in particular who are at a sensitive developmental stage when encountering such incorrect and harmful content on their screens. For this reason, the recognition and prevention of disinformation is now of interest to both researchers and authorities.
This spring, researchers have started gathering globally up-to-date and valuable data from lower secondary schools in Jyväskylä on how seventh- to ninth-graders are able to identify typical features of disinformation. A new multidisciplinary study is investigating what skills help young people protect themselves from misleading information – and why some succeed better in this than others.
Why are young people susceptible to disinformation?
The central role of social media in young people’s lives also creates favourable conditions for the spreading of disinformation. Young people often share content in order to start a conversation, and the information they share is not always critically evaluated.
“Sociability and engagement in conversations are important to young people,” says Professor of Corporate Communication Vilma Luoma-aho, from the Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics.
Something found on social media can be shared without considering at all whether the piece of information is correct or not.”
According to research findings, a majority of young people are cautious about information, but a small group acts differently.
“Some young people are carefree, so to speak: For them, the perceived benefit is more important than reliability, and information is shared if it seems to suit their own discussions on social media,” Luoma-aho explains.
Unique disinformation research launched in Jyväskylä
Surprisingly little is known about young people’s ability to recognise false information. To remedy the situation, a study was started in February at nine lower secondary schools in Jyväskylä.
It investigates how young people are able to recognise features typical of unreliable information: bias, lack of expertise, weak or lacking argumentation.
In this project, young people answer questions, identify sets of images and text material and watch short-form video content. In addition, some of them participate in laboratory tests involving methods of brain research and eye tracking.
“We investigate how young people recognise features of unreliable information and why some succeed better in this than others,” states Miika Marttunen, leader of the project and professor at the Faculty of Education and Psychology at JYU.
We also explore the effects of argumentation skills, emotional intelligence, a scientific world view and artificial intelligence on the recognition of disinformation.”
The results can be applied internationally and used for the development of young people’s critical media literacy.
Evaluation of information is difficult – even for adults
The new Jyväskylä-based study is pivotal, since little is currently known, especially about lower secondary school students’ skills.
Previous research has shown that both sixth-graders and upper secondary school students have difficulties in recognising bias in online sources. A recent Nordic survey also revealed that a fifth of 9- to 15-year-olds have challenges in distinguishing between false information and the truth.
“Evaluating the reliability of information is a demanding skill at any age. The motives of those producing disinformation are not always apparent, which makes evaluation and also research even more challenging,” Marttunen points out.
Three skills that protect young people from disinformation
The good news is that young people’s skills can be improved. Studies have shown that certain skills help recognise misleading information. Marttunen advises us to pay attention to the following factors:
- Literacy skills – Declining reading comprehension makes people more susceptible to misleading content.
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Critical thinking –The skills of argumentation and questioning of information are pivotal – but develop slowly.
“Critical thinking is a demanding cognitive skill the development of which takes time and calls for practice. It fits perfectly into the teaching of many subjects. It can be practised, for example, in language, history, social studies, and health education classes.”
- Emotional intelligence – It helps a person see things behind emotional content.
”An emotionally intelligent person recognises one’s own emotions and can regulate them. It helps evaluate information rationally instead of acting on the basis of emotions.”
Social media doesn’t give you time to think – quick recognition skills are essential
Critical thinking alone is not enough, as social media is designed to elicit quick reactions.
In practice, it is impossible to evaluate the reliability of every social media post with critical thinking,” Marttunen says.
“Hence, it is important to learn to quickly filter out any suspicious content.”
The ability to quickly filter is an important skill to counterbalance the demands of critical thinking, which calls for extensive cognitive processing.
For public officials, the challenge is how to reach young people
While misinformation is spreading rapidly, getting correct information across to young people is increasingly challenging.
The research project led by Vilma Luoma-aho is investigating the information vulnerabilities of young people and authorities in collaboration with the defence authorities. The aim is to improve preparation for situations where parts of official communications are interfered or captured, for example.
The results of this project will be discussed in a seminar on 8 April.
Although it will be easier to capture communications by means of AI in the future, we already know that certain factors make communications more vulnerable to capturing."
"For example, organisations’ ambiguous instructions or communication that is completely contradictory to people’s own experiences are more likely to be captured than clear communications resonating with people’s experiences,” Luoma-aho says.
Social marketing can facilitate official communication
Senior Lecturer Heini Taiminen from the Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics investigates health communication and emphasises that reaching young people calls for a long-term and strategic approach to communication.
Messages directed to young people should be formulated in a way that relates to their daily life.
“When communicating to young people, empathy is important: understanding what young people are currently going through. The messages should not be moralising or judging. Young people appreciate the feeling of autonomy,” Taiminen points out.
In addition, studies show that young people are often motivated especially by stated concrete and short-term benefits.
“Young people are not a homogeneous group, so the same message does not work for everybody,” Taiminen says.
“It is often a good idea to make slightly different versions of the messages for each target group. And, young people expect an interactive approach.”
It is important to teach young people an ethically responsible approach to information
Recognizing disinformation is a major civic skill of the future. The above-mentioned research project launched in Jyväskylä will provide new knowledge on how young people can be supported better.
Practicing critical thinking, strengthening emotional intelligence, and quickly filtering out dubious information are skills that will help young people navigate an increasingly complex digital world.
Professor Miika Marttunen emphasises that it is important to teach not only critical thinking, but also active and ethically responsible attitudes toward all kinds of information.
Our research is based on the notion that a critical and responsible attitude to information promotes the recognition of disinformation."
"This type of approach should be emphasised at school and its adoption promoted. More broadly, it relates to epistemic agency.”
