Who Consumes New Media Content More Wisely? Examining Personality Factors, SNS Use, and New Media Literacy in the Era of Misinformation

"...lays the foundation for future new media literacy curricula by examining the relationship between new media literacy and individuals' perceptions and actions about a controversial issue in the context of misinformation."

Social network sites (SNSs) such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter have become an integral part of young people's daily life. This new media environment, which allows for social interaction, self-presentation, and circulation of user-generated content, has become extremely complex due to the propogation of misinformation there. Although young people often have adequate functioning literacy (e.g., skills to access and search the internet), they may lack the skills to discern, interpret, critique, and verify the large quantity of complex information on new media. This study explores examines the influences of demographics, SNS use, and personality factors on young people's ability to consume new media content critically. It also investigates whether the critical consumption of new media content is associated with individuals' perceptions and actions regarding the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.

HPV vaccination was selected as a case study because it has been plagued by misinformation, including erroneous claims about its ineffectiveness and side effects on social media. In addition, since HPV vaccination is related to sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and injections, it has become intertwined with issues of religion, ethics, and politics that have sparked controversial debates, misperceptions, and vaccine hesitancy. "Therefore, examining health issues, HPV vaccination in particular, in the context of new media literacy is not only warranted but urgently needed."

The paper begins by defining some of the concepts to be explored in the study. In defining "new media literacy", the researchers focus on "critical consuming literacy", which may help individuals combat the negative influences of misinformation. Consisting of the actions of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation, critical consuming literacy refers to the ability to discern the true purpose underneath new media messages through an active examination of message construction, fact-checking, and source verification. Need for cognition (NFC), which is conceptualised as an individual's enjoyment of thinking, is contrasted here with need for affect (NFA), which signifies a reliance less on cognitive efforts and more on simple, heuristic, or affective cues for information processing.

Data were collected with an online survey conducted at a large public university in the United States (US). Participants - 551 college students aged 18 to 55 - were mostly female (59.89%) and Caucasian (71.51%). Selected findings:

• Females were more likely to consume new media content critically and logically than males.
• Among Caucasians, female individuals with high SNS use were the most proficient in consuming new media content critically. In contrast, among non-Caucasians, male individuals with high SNS use had the highest level of critical consuming literacy.
• Beyond age, gender, and ethnicity, individuals with higher NFC were more likely to critically consume new media content.
• Individuals with higher NFA were more likely to consume new media content critically and analytically.
• Among individuals with low NFC, higher SNS use was associated with higher critical consumption of new media content, while as NFC increases, the moderating influence of SNS use on critical consumption is less evident.
• Individuals with higher critical consuming literacy had significantly lower misinformed risk perceptions about HPV vaccination.
• Critical consuming literacy was positively associated with a higher level of information seeking (e.g., about HPV vaccination).

Consistent with previous research, this study found that ethnicity is associated with critical consuming literacy among young adults. One possible explanation is based on the differences in media usage habits across ethnic groups. For instance, compared to Caucasians, ethnic minority individuals are more likely to critically evaluate information in physical settings rather than online settings like social media platforms. In terms of gender, the results of this study are also echoed by previous studies, such as those validating that females use SNSs more often than males and may be more familiar with the nuances on the platforms, which can trigger their critical evaluation of the information.

Along these lines, the finding that individuals who use SNSs more frequently are more likely to consume new media content critically is aligned with prior research. The process of accessing, managing, producing, and exchanging information on interactive platforms may help users become more proficient in critically consuming and evaluating media content. Future studies could investigate the level of SNS engagement in influencing critical consuming literacy.

Another area for future research is suggested by the finding that individuals with low NFC and low SNS use are the least likely to consume new media content critically. New media literacy education would appear to be especially critical for individuals who mindlessly process information and lack new media skills, who are extremely vulnerable to misinformation.

Finally, through the HPV vaccination case study, the research showed that increased critical consuming literacy is associated with a higher level of information seeking, a behaviour that helps a person acquire more accurate information to correct misperceptions. These results provide "robust support that new media literacy has protective effects that may shield individuals from the negative influences of misinformation....[I]mplementing new media literacy programs may be especially beneficial in helping young people to navigate through the labyrinth of information and make critical judgments."

Practically, this study suggests that, when developing and tailoring education curricula, media literacy practitioners should devote more attention to Caucasian males with low SNS use, non-Caucasian females with low SNS use, and individuals with low NFC and SNS use. Specifically, "it would be beneficial for media educators to encourage their students of different ethnic groups and cultural backgrounds to frequently utilize SNSs, to help them develop a better understanding of the characteristics of information dissemination on SNSs." They could also consider developing multilingual, gender-friendly social media platforms to fit the specific needs of different groups of consumers.

In conclusion: "developing new media literacy curricula is indeed essential to help combat misperceptions in the current media landscape riddled with misinformation. More importantly, [this] study shed[s] light on future practices by highlighting certain groups of individuals that deserve more attention in new media literacy education."