On social media, news is entertainment. Platforms such as TikTok, X, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook mix opinions and facts to create captivating content that goes viral for the wrong reasons. Viewers react most to information that is surprising or frustrating, even if the so-called “news” is completely fabricated. Algorithms that aim to keep viewers engaged for as long as possible enhance such consumption of false content, according to pirg.org. In these ways, social media often exaggerates or misrepresents details, leading to the rapid spread of misinformation. The dangers of deception are especially influential for young voters as the presidential election nears, making it crucial that social media users evaluate their sources.
Among 18- to 29-year-olds, social media is the most common news source, exposing this age group to misinformation regarding politics. On these platforms, inaccurate information can spread ten times faster on social media than true reporting, according to researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Even if the author corrects misinformation, viewers may not see or believe these updates. According to social psychologist Mr. Jonathan Haidt, “outrage is the key to virality,” which further fuels the conversation surrounding unreliable content. A 2020 survey revealed that 53 percent of Americans derive at least some of their news from social media, according to pirg.org. In order to foster engaged and informed citizens, voters in any country must must seek out and rely on factual information from which they can make educated decisions.
There is a growing generational divide regarding trust in social media, which highlights the particular susceptibility of young adults to political misinformation. Adults under 30 are almost as likely to trust social media as they are to trust information coming from national news outlets, with half of that age group demonstrating at least some trust in the information shared on these platforms. However, that percentage significantly decreases among older adults. Just 36 percent of those aged 30 to 49 have some trust in social media, and this statistic falls to 25 percent for those 50 to 64 and only 20 percent of adults 65 and older, according to weforum.org. While awareness of media-generated misinformation is necessary for voters of all ages, it is especially vital for young adults as this demographic has the most trust in these platforms.
The unreliability of social media with relation to elections is not a new issue. In 2014, the firm Cambridge Analytica acquired data from tens of millions of Facebook users to build voter profiles. This collection of data potentially influenced past elections both domestically and abroad. The firm may have played a role in providing analytics to the Trump campaign in 2016. The United Kingdom investigated Cambridge Analytica’s role in promoting disinformation during the country’s vote to leave the European Union. This data breach impacted around 87 million users, most of whom were in the United States, according to Facebook’s chief technology officer, Mr. Mike Schroepfer, according to The New York Times.
Lawmakers in Washington, D.C., held Facebook responsible for this leak, as Mr. Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s chief executive, testified before Congress. In the years since this scandal, social media platforms have made an effort to improve privacy policies. Still, the Cambridge Analytica scandal shows that the risk of social media goes beyond the users themselves. It is imperative that users are able to trust platforms to protect their personal data as the 2024 election nears.
Even with this concern for privacy, trust in social media continues to grow among young users. The content within the platforms themselves can influence voters’ opinions, as the design of algorithms fragments users into groups based on personal interests. This fragmentation can emphasize the echo chambers of social media, which prompts distrust of other sources and opinions. However, these platforms have users from both political parties, whereas news organizations tend to be more divided, according to brookings.edu. While social media users share a variety of opinions, reliable facts may not support this content which can misinform young voters who spend the most time on these apps.
Looking ahead to this fall’s elections, it is important for all viewers, especially young voters, to view the information presented on social media and other news sources with a critical eye and diligently evaluate the credibility of the content. It is essential to differentiate the sources from which users receive information and to look for sources that contain a variety of perspectives to avoid consuming misinformation. To be more educated citizens, voters must seek out information from news organizations that may challenge the content on social media.
Featured Image by Brianna Timlin ’26
