This report by Oxford University Press has found that despite concerns around misinformation and false claims, social media users around the world continue to believe that the information they read and share on platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook is factually correct, with levels of trust highest in emerging economies.
In India, as many as 88% of people who share information from social media are confident in its truthfulness, slightly above the global average of three quarters. Globally only two in 10 parents used social media and one in 10 WhatsApp to teach their children – rising to around one third in India at 35% and 29% respectively.
Meanwhile, globally, half still think politicians and government play a significant role in helping us to separate fact from fiction (47%) – but this fell to 36% among more sceptical Britons.
The findings show that when looking for factual information, 37% turn to social media, rising to 44% of Mexicans, 43% of South Africans and 54% of Indians. Britons were less likely to look for facts using social media, with only 16% describing it as a preferred source, compared to nearly three in ten (29%) Americans. Overall, most of us rely heavily on Google and other search engines for information, with two thirds (67%) worldwide and 62% in the UK finding facts this way.
Social Media has become central to shaping people’s understanding. More than half (52%) said that when it came to distinguishing fact from fiction, sites like Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram play an important role. At the same time, reliance on books and more traditional means of gathering accurate information has declined. For example, less than a quarter (17%) cited non-fiction books and encyclopaedias as sources when seeking facts.