Journal Article: “Exposure to Social Engagement Metrics Increases Vulnerability to Misinformation”

The following article was recently published by the Misinformation Review published by the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS).

Title

Exposure to Social Engagement Metrics Increases Vulnerability to Misinformation

Authors

Mihai Avram
Indiana University

Nicholas Micallef
Center for Cybersecurity, New York University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Sameer Patil
Indiana University
New York University

Filippo Menczer
Indiana University

Source

Misinformation Review
DOI: 10.37016/mr-2020-033

Abstract

News feeds in virtually all social media platforms include engagement metrics, such as the number of times each post is liked and shared. We find that exposure to these signals increases the vulnerability of users to low-credibility information in a simulated social media feed. This finding has important implications for the design of social media interactions in the post-truth age. To reduce the spread of misinformation, we call for technology platforms to rethink the display of social engagement metrics. Further research is needed to investigate how engagement metrics can be presented without amplifying the spread of low-credibility information.

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Filed under: News, Patrons and Users