Who's More Likely to Be Fooled by Fake News? Older or Younger?

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Study: Older Adults More Likely Than Young to Be Fooled by ‘Fake News’

The very oldest adults are more likely to fall for fake news, finds a new study.

University of Florida researchers found some good news: Adults, ages 61 to 70, have a similar level of ability to detect fake news as their younger counterparts.

But the bad news: They also found that adults who’re older than 70 were less likely to spot fake news… They think these seniors may not look as closely at information or pay attention to details, according to study authors.

And they may be more likely to seek stories which seem to “agree” with their long-held beliefs, for validation.

Noteworthy: People of all ages were less likely to identify fake news about COVID-19 than news not related to the pandemic.

Researchers say this could be due to low familiarity with COVID-related information, in the early months of the pandemic, in particular.

Researchers note that it’s only in very old age—when decline of thinking abilities can no longer be offset by life experience and world knowledge—that people may become especially vulnerable to fake news and other misinformation.

Real news is here, for you: (UPI)

A study finds only the oldest of adults—people aged 70+– have a harder time distinguishing fake news from real news—and this could be because they may not look as closely at information or pay attention to details, compared to younger adults

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