Fake news and its perception among Young Spaniards: the influence of socio- demographic factors

Over the last five years, fake news has become a global phenomenon impacting global information flows. It is reasonable to think that young people are exposed to fake news the most, given that it is mainly disseminated through social media, and they are the main users of these applications. This study analyses young people's perception of fake news based on a representative sample of residents in Spain aged between 15 and 24 (n=1,068). We consider the frequency they receive fake news, the topics they refer to, the sources, and how they deal with them. We considered how socio-demographic factors such as gender, age, location, political ideology or educational level influence how they receive fake news. Among other findings, the results show that the higher the age and educational level, the higher the rates of verification and recognition of fake news. In addition, individuals living in large municipalities and those on the right of the ideological spectrum verify information less frequently and use less reliable sources than other young people.