MSc thesis presentation - Ishita Haque 

Name: Ishita Haque 

Date: Nov 27, 2024

Time: 2-3 PM

Location: x836

Supervisor: Dr. Joanna McGrenere

Title: Envisioning Interventions to Combat Misinformation Propagation on Social Media: Insights from Older Adults’ Approaches to Credibility Assessment and Sharing Decisions

Abstract:
Users of all ages contribute to misinformation propagation on social media, including older adults. With the growing adoption of social media among older adults, it is essential to understand their perspectives on credibility assessment and its perceived impact on sharing decisions.

Leveraging friends and family (FnFs) to support credibility assessment is a promising approach; however, little is known about how older adults value it relative to assessing credibility individually.

To probe this question, we created a prototype that nudges before sharing potential misinformation and engaged 12 older adults in think-aloud sessions and semi-structured interviews over selected social media posts. Our thematic analysis reveals that older adults prefer an independent approach while assessing credibility, but that involving FnFs is often desired for social opportunities for shared decision-making and enhancing interpersonal relationships. Older adults perceive multifaceted risks when sharing across inner (FnFs) and outer circles, and they exhibit varying trust in FnFs’ expertise and individually sourced information. They also attempt to mitigate their prior beliefs through cross-checking. We offer a nuanced understanding of older adults’ perceptions towards credibility and sharing and highlight the design challenges and opportunities for empowering older adults and mitigating social risks in seeking assessment support.