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Experiencing misinformation

Notley, Dezuanni, Park and 2 others

Routledge eBooks26 Aug 2026

NobleIDark:/48914/w1/20261105/88FC6FA6DOI10.4324/9781003674290-3

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Abstract

This chapter focuses on what it looks, sounds, and feels like for people to be regularly encountering information online that may be untrue or unreliable. The authors present a series of findings from their 3-year study, which involved more than 4,000 adult Australians. This chapter presents the methodology and findings from the study’s survey, verification test, diary study and interviews. Looking across the interlinked data the authors identify six key findings: (1) social media platforms enable information overload; (2) information diets are unique to each person, opaque and driven by commercial priorities; (3) most adults are unable to verify information online and many are overconfident; (4) people often make quick assumptions to decide who and what to trust online; (5) online information diets are individual, but decision-making is relational and (6) most adults have a limited understanding of digital media environments but want to learn more. They propose that these insights can be used to inform a holistic and lifelong media literacy response.

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