Summary: People who experience high levels of distress and functional impairment from excessive social media use are significantly more likely to believe and engage with fake news. Researchers report that individuals with problematic social media habits are more inclined to click, like, comment on, and share false stories, regardless of the stories’ accuracy.
A new study links behavioral patterns of social media overuse with greater susceptibility to misinformation, highlighting how digital habits can influence public opinion and the spread of false content. These results may inform mental health professionals, policymakers, and social platforms seeking to reduce misinformation online.
Key Facts:
- Problematic Use = Misinformation Risk: Excessive social media users are more likely to accept and propagate fake news.
- Addictive-like Behavior: Problematic social media use shares traits with addictive behaviors, such as impaired control and continued use despite harm.
- Public Health Relevance: Findings can help clinicians and platforms identify and support users who are more prone to misinformation.
Source: Michigan State University
Overview: Researchers at Michigan State University conducted a first-of-its-kind experiment showing that people who report the greatest distress and dysfunction from social media use are more likely to believe fake news. The study, led by Dar Meshi and Maria D. Molina of the MSU College of Communication Arts and Sciences, appears in PLOS One and was supported by MSU’s Trifecta Initiative.
Meshi and Molina recruited 189 young adults, ages 18 to 26, for an online experiment that simulated social media exposure. Each participant viewed 20 news items formatted like social media posts—10 were true and 10 were false—with the order randomized. Researchers measured participants’ credibility judgments for each item and recorded their intentions to click, like, comment, and share. Participants also completed a validated scale measuring problematic social media use (PSMU).
Results show clear associations between the severity of PSMU and responses to news content. Specifically, higher levels of problematic social media use were linked to:
- Greater likelihood of judging false stories as credible;
- Increased engagement with news posts overall, regardless of whether they were true or false;
- A stronger intent to click on false news items.
The authors emphasize that problematic social media use is not currently classified as an official psychiatric disorder by the American Psychiatric Association. Nevertheless, Meshi notes it shares important similarities with substance use and behavioral addictions—such as compulsive use, negative emotional states when access is restricted, and difficulty quitting—which have been associated with impaired functioning at work or school and with worse mental health outcomes.
“Social media are everywhere in our daily lives, and some people display problematic, excessive use of these platforms,” Meshi said. “We found that this overuse is associated with a greater tendency to believe in and engage with misinformation.” Molina added that more than 60% of Americans read content on social platforms and previous research has shown false news can spread more quickly than accurate reporting, making the observed link especially concerning.
The study is notable for measuring intended behaviors (clicking, liking, commenting, sharing) rather than only beliefs, offering practical insight into how problematic use might translate into actions that amplify misinformation. Identifying users who are both distressed by social media and prone to engaging with false content could help shape targeted interventions.
Clinical implications: Meshi and Molina suggest that mental health providers, primary care clinicians, and public health professionals should consider patients’ social media habits when addressing susceptibility to health-related misinformation. Awareness of a patient’s level of PSMU could inform counseling, digital literacy education, or referrals to behavioral health resources.
Policy and platform implications: The authors propose that researchers and social media companies collaborate to design features and outreach that reduce exposure to false news among high-risk users. Interventions might include tailored digital literacy prompts, friction for rapid sharing of unverified items, or prioritized fact-checking for users exhibiting problematic engagement patterns.
About this research
Author: Alex Tekip
Source: Michigan State University
Contact: Alex Tekip – Michigan State University
Image credit: Neuroscience News
Abstract (condensed):
Problematic social media use is associated with believing in and engaging with fake news. Social media use is widespread, and a subset of individuals display excessive or maladaptive patterns of use characterized by impulsivity and impaired control. Prior work links cognitive impulsivity to vulnerability to online falsehoods. In an online within-subject experiment (N=189, mean age 19.8), participants evaluated 20 news items (10 real, 10 false) presented as social media posts. Measures included credibility judgments and intentions to click, like, comment, and share, alongside assessment of PSMU. Statistical analyses revealed that higher PSMU predicted greater perceived credibility of false news, increased engagement with news content overall, and specifically greater intent to click on false items. These findings suggest that individuals who experience the most distress and functional impairment from social media are also the most susceptible to false information, with clear clinical and policy implications.