“Fake News” in Social Networks: Media Practices of Students

Abstract

With the expansion of the space of online communications and the growth of their social significance, it seems relevant to study the attitude to fake publications, which not only distort the facts, but also generate negative consequences in relation to various aspects of activity. In this regard, theoretical and practical relevance is gained by the study of possibilities to counter fakes, forming, first of all, the ability to identify false information and distinguish it in the flow of news messages among young people as the main consumer of social networking content. The goal of this article is to present the results of an empirical study of the media practices of student audience of Smolensk and their attitude to fake news in social networks. In the course of the study it was determined that the media consumption practices of the regional student audience correspond to national trends: preference of Internet resources, and among them — social networks as sources of news information. At the same time, the goals of using social networks and thematic preferences of students are related not only to the current media agenda, but also to involvement in the educational process and leisure activities, which also reflects the all-Russian characteristics of the media behavior of young people. The study revealed an ambiguous role of online comments in the process of fact-checking a news publication and forming an opinion about the credibility of the news publication. We found that despite a proper understanding of the essential features of fake news and the consequences of its replication in the media, the behavioral impact of fake news was stronger than the impact of real news. The study also revealed that the majority of the regional student audience of social networks demonstrates susceptibility to fake news and has difficulty recognizing it.