Resilience to disinformation on social networking sites : Motivation and strategies of active users
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| Year of publication | 2023 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
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| Description | Disinformation has become an established part of social networking sites (SNS) and its dissemination affects not only the users but has larger implications for democracies (Humprecht et al., 2021; McKay & Tenove, 2021). While scholars have examined their spread and its impact (Hameleers, Brosius & de Vreese, 2022), there remains a gap in understanding the potential resilience of users. The importance of corrective actions, such as debunking false information, lies in their potential to mitigate the spread of disinformation (Colliander, 2019). If user behavior can contribute to the overall resilience of online environment, it is important to study it more closely. This study focuses on users´ interactions with disinformation on SNS and their strategies for preventing its further dissemination throughout period that was influenced by ongoing crisis (Covid-19, Russio-Ukrainan war). To understand their motivations and strategies, we use qualitative methods, which are currently lacking in research. We conducted 60 in-depth qualitative interviews with people living in Czech republic over the course of three years (2021-2022-2023). Preliminary results show that reacting to disinformation is mostly connected to the normative responsibility to offer the correct information to others (not only those who share it but also readers) and help manage the overall online information environment. Users often decide to react when discussing topics that are important to them and elicit strong emotions, such as Covid-19 or Russio-Ukrainian war. However, incivility and conspiracies are shown to discourage users. Even active users, who are willing to debunk disinformation are often discouraged after a while by the perceived hostile environment and no visible change. |
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