Abstract
This study analyses students’ attitudes towards misinformation on social media, starting from fake news, conspiracy theories and rumours. Based on 401 responses collected at the School of Technology and Management of the Polytechnic Institute of Beja, an exploratory factor analysis was carried out which identified two main factors: the first, associated with the critical evaluation of content before sharing and the second related to the use of technological tools to detect misinformation. The results reveal a moderate concern with the verification of content, but little use of technological resources for fact-checking. Few statistically significant differences were also found in attitudes, considering gender, time of use of social networks, as well as the social networks used, suggesting a transversal behavioural pattern between the groups. The conclusions reinforce the need to promote digital literacy and reflective thinking, as ways to mitigate the spread of misinformation.
Recommended Citation
Carvalho, André and Borralho, Carlos, "Alone Among Others: Behaviours that Spread and Mitigate Misinformation on Social Media" (2025). CAPSI 2025 Proceedings. 34.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/capsi2025/34