Effects of false information on the voting behavior of youth in Brgy. Sibut San Jose City, Nueva Ecija
Date
2023
Authors
Jessalyn D. Soriano
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Abstract
False information is a well-known problem that can have a significant impact on individuals and society. Studies have shown that false new stories spread faster and wider on social media than true stories and tend to be more sensational and attention-grabbing, leading to belief polarization (Allcott & Gentzkow, 2017; Guess, Nyhan, & Reifler, 2020). Furthermore, false information can have lasting effects on individuals' beliefs and attitudes, even after the information is corrected (Bright et al., 2016).
The study aimed to investigate the effects of false information on the voting behavior of youth in barangay Sibut, San Jose City, Nueva Ecija. It aimed to identify the respondents' socio-economic profiles, communication attributes, sources and level of exposure to false information. Furthermore, the study aimed to analyze the relationship between socio-economic profile and knowledge of respondents on false information and the relationship between the extent of exposure to false information on social media and the voting behavior of respondents.
The study employed a descriptive research design and a random sampling method to distribute questionnaires to 319 respondents. Data analysis involved using various statistical measures such as frequency, percentage, mean, mode and Cramer's V correlation to determine the relationship between variables.
The study revealed that the majority of the respondents were female, aged 21-25, and had college-level education, while belonging to low-income families with a monthly income of below 10,000 Php. Most of the youth in Barangay Sibut, San Jose City, Nueva Ecija were active on social media, particularly Facebook, and accessed it for one to four hours daily. The results suggest that social media is a crucial platform for accessing information among the youth, particularly those with low-income levels. The study found that although the trust in news media was high, there were still concerns about the spread of fakenews. The majority of respondents acknowledged the importance of reliable new sources, but they may lack critical thinking skills necessary to evaluate news content effectively. Moreover, the study identified the respondents' response to false information on social media. the majority of respondents did not interact or share false information online. However, some respondents reported false information they encountered online and unfollowed Facebook friends who shared fake news. the study found a weak correlation between age and knowledge of false information, with older adults being more susceptible to fake news due to lower levels of education were found to be more susceptible to false information.
In todays' age of digital technology, social media has become an essential platform for accessing and sharing information, including news and political updates. During the recent election, false information flooded social media, containing inaccurate information aimed at deceiving and manipulating the public. The study highlights the importance of digital media literacy skills and critical thinking abilities to combat the spread of false information. The findings indicate that individuals with lower levels of education and older adults are more susceptible to false information. Therefore, there is a need for programs that focus on enhancing digital media literacy skills and critical thinking abilities among the youth and other vulnerable groups.
Additionally, the study suggests the need for collaborative efforts from various stakeholders, including government agencies, media outlets and civil society organizations, to address the issue of false information on social media. Lastly, results of the two hypotheses of the study suggest that there is no significant relationship between the socio-economic profile of the respondents and their knowledge of false information. this means that factors such as age, gender, education level, and income do not necessarily predict whether an individual has a good or poor understanding of false information. Similarly, the study found no significant relationship between the extent of exposure to false information on social media and the voting behavior of the respondents. This suggests that exposure to false information alone does not necessarily influence an individual's political decisions.