Paper Type
ERF
Abstract
The dissemination of fake news by social media users is a key factor in the escalation of misinformation. Research suggests that social media networks are becoming increasingly homophilic, which leads to an overreliance on social media friends that contributes to the spread of fake news. However, little is known about how social media mindfulness can reduce the sharing of fake news. To investigate this research question, we conceptualized a social media mindfulness construct and developed the social media mindfulness scale. We also hypothesize that social media mindfulness lowers overreliance on friends’ knowledge, which increases skepticism about social media news that in turn reduces the spread of fake news on social media. Our work investigates and underscores the structural issues inherent in social media, which foster closed-mindedness and contribute to the spread of fake news. Hence, the design of online interventions to promote mindfulness in social media use is paramount.
Paper Number
2307
Recommended Citation
Bansal, Gaurav; Nah, Fiona; and Thatcher, Jason B., "Role of Social Media Mindfulness in Combatting Fake News Propagation" (2025). AMCIS 2025 Proceedings. 11.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/amcis2025/social_comput/social_comput/11
Role of Social Media Mindfulness in Combatting Fake News Propagation
The dissemination of fake news by social media users is a key factor in the escalation of misinformation. Research suggests that social media networks are becoming increasingly homophilic, which leads to an overreliance on social media friends that contributes to the spread of fake news. However, little is known about how social media mindfulness can reduce the sharing of fake news. To investigate this research question, we conceptualized a social media mindfulness construct and developed the social media mindfulness scale. We also hypothesize that social media mindfulness lowers overreliance on friends’ knowledge, which increases skepticism about social media news that in turn reduces the spread of fake news on social media. Our work investigates and underscores the structural issues inherent in social media, which foster closed-mindedness and contribute to the spread of fake news. Hence, the design of online interventions to promote mindfulness in social media use is paramount.
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