Abstract
In an era dominated by social media, the spread of fake news and disinformation presents a distinct peril for those aged 50 and above, who are active and more likely to share it on platforms like Twitter and Facebook. This misinformation could jeopardize the mental and physical well-being of those older adults who are most likely to share health-related fake news. While cognitive decline has traditionally been blamed for older adults' vulnerability to fake news, recent research underscores the role of accumulated knowledge, suggesting cognitive deficits alone cannot fully explain their susceptibility. This research investigates how emotional appeals contained in fake news influence older adults through socio-emotional processing, particularly as older individuals increasingly rely on surface-level analytical reasoning. As such, we may be in a better position to understand how these factors ultimately affect older adults consumption behavior of health-related information.
Recommended Citation
Lu, Xuecong; Jiang, Jinglu; Head, Milena; Dalmer, Nicole; and Flynn, Terry, "Older Adults’ Consumption of Fake News – An Interoceptive Perspective" (2024). SIGHCI 2023 Proceedings. 12.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/sighci2023/12