Types of people who are susceptible to misinformation
The Elderly
Older adults, especially those who age 65 or above are more likely to believe and share misinformation. According to Full Fact, an independent UK fact-checking organisation, a UK research showed that older individuals were less likely to recall the sources of stories they had read precisely than young people. Hence, They possess a deteriorated ability to correctly recall the detail of information.
Moreover, older adults are less likely to update and correct their beliefs. Thus, they tend to believe in false information and myths without prior knowledge of that. The older population is vulnerable to misinformation.
An elderly women said that she had no worries to the COVID-19 situation as she believed in the government. She also claimed that she would not wear a mask. (From a news reporting in HK)
The Under-educated/ Uneducated
The level of education affects one's ability to distinguish opinions from facts and to assess the creditworthiness of a story. A study conducted by the University of Kansas revealed that individuals who receive high level of education are more likely to evaluate the credibility of a source accurately. Hence, people who inadequate education tends to believe in myths.
In addition, one US finding concluded that older people who did not receive university education are unlikely to fact-check the content they receive on WhatsApp. It seems that people with lower education level do not have sufficient awareness to false information.
I don’t fall into the two categories mentioned above. Does that mean I am not affected by fake news and myths?
Unfortunately. No.
There is no proof or evidence that young people can be completely safe from false information. Instead, everyone is exposed to the danger of misinformation.
A cognitive scientist explains that people with a biased belief appears to reinforce fake news. It is due to selective exposure. Human brains tend to assume stories that we believe are from a credible and trustworthy source. Hence, people exhibit a behaviour of reinforcing what they used to believe and memories are more likely to maintain consistent records rather than an accurate interpretation.
