A survey found that nearly three-quarters of people in 19 countries consider the spread of false information online to be a “significant threat.” Investigation It was released by the Pew Research Center on Wednesday.
Researchers asked 24,525 people in 19 advanced economies to rate the severity of threats from climate change, infectious diseases, online misinformation, cyberattacks from other countries, and global economic conditions. . Climate change is the top concern in most countries, with a median of 75% of respondents citing it as a major threat. False alarms are close behind, with a median of 70% viewing it as a significant threat.
The survey results are research What Pew released this year, mainly in the United States. The survey found that disinformation is virtually tied to cyberhacking and is a top concern for Americans, with about 7 in 10 saying each is a major threat. In contrast to the other countries surveyed, the US rated the lowest climate change threat among the available options.
Most Americans are concerned about misinformation…
After years of plagued by misinformation about elections and the coronavirus pandemic, 70% of Americans now believe misinformation circulating online is a major threat. increase. Another 26% considered it a minor threat and only 2% said it was not a threat.
According to survey results, the United States is one of the countries most concerned about misinformation online. Germans are the most concerned, with 75% saying it is a major threat. Only 42% of Israelis rated the issue highly, the lowest among the countries surveyed.
…but there are differences across the political spectrum.
Democrats and highly educated people were more likely to rate online misinformation as a significant threat. Republicans and the uneducated were less likely to appreciate it.
66% of Americans who voted for former President Donald J. Trump in 2020 said online misinformation was a greater threat compared to 78% of voters who supported President Biden.
researcher warned before People who are less educated or who are more vulnerable (because of low income or poor health) are more likely to believe or share misinformation.
All over the world, young people worry less about misinformation.
Research has found that younger people tend to see misinformation as less worrying than older people. This discovery Research so far Young people are less likely to share misinformation online, demonstrating confidence in navigating falsehoods on social media.
Jacob Poushter, associate director of Pew’s Global Attitudes Survey, suggested that older adults tend to rate technological threats higher than threats such as infectious diseases or a depressed economy.
“We know that older people are more concerned about cyberattacks and the spread of misinformation online,” Poushter said. “That could mean it has a lot to do with technology.”