Unravelling the Web of Fake News: Understanding Factors Influencing Fake News Sharing

Abstract

Fake news swiftly spreads throughout social media platforms, influencing public opinion, decision-making, and even societal cohesion. Understanding the elements which drive the dissemination of fake news has become an important and pressing issue in the contemporary digital environment. Through a detailed examination of data obtained from 328 young individuals, the research identifies para-social interaction, information seeking, information sharing, and status-seeking as the main driving factors for the transmission of fake news in the digital era. Conversely, the factors of passing time and fear of missing out were found to have a negligible relationship with fake news sharing, indicating a lesser impact on the spread of fake news. Additionally, the model fit as evaluated by R-square, suggested that approximately 55% of the variance in fake news sharing was explained by the independent variables included in the study. The findings of the study will help devise effective strategies to counteract the phenomenon of fake news sharing and promote media literacy.