Exploring Parental Mediation as a Moderator in the Relationship Between Social Media Use and Susceptibility to Misinformation

Abstract The popularity of social media has increased concerns about susceptibility to misinformation, particularly among young adults. This study examines the relationship between social media use and misinformation susceptibility, focusing on the moderating effects of perceived parental mediation. This study surveyed 399 young adults (ages 18–30) from the United Kingdom and the United States using a cross-sectional design. Participants completed measures assessing social media use, veracity discernment (as an inverse measure of misinformation susceptibility), and perceived parental mediation, including restrictive and active strategies. Correlations and multiple regression analyses were conducted to assess the main and interaction effects. Correlation analyses revealed that perceived restrictive parental mediation was associated with lower social media use, while active mediation was linked to higher social media use. Additionally, active parental mediation was positively...Show moreAbstract The popularity of social media has increased concerns about susceptibility to misinformation, particularly among young adults. This study examines the relationship between social media use and misinformation susceptibility, focusing on the moderating effects of perceived parental mediation. This study surveyed 399 young adults (ages 18–30) from the United Kingdom and the United States using a cross-sectional design. Participants completed measures assessing social media use, veracity discernment (as an inverse measure of misinformation susceptibility), and perceived parental mediation, including restrictive and active strategies. Correlations and multiple regression analyses were conducted to assess the main and interaction effects. Correlation analyses revealed that perceived restrictive parental mediation was associated with lower social media use, while active mediation was linked to higher social media use. Additionally, active parental mediation was positively associated with veracity discernment, suggesting a potential role in reducing misinformation susceptibility. However, regression analyses found no statistically significant predictive effect of social media use on misinformation susceptibility. Moreover, neither restrictive nor active parental mediation significantly moderated this relationship, as the interaction terms were non-significant. These findings indicate that while parental mediation strategies might influence social media use patterns, their impact on misinformation susceptibility is minimal. The results suggest that misinformation susceptibility is likely shaped by a broader set of individual and contextual factors, such as media literacy and critical thinking skills. Given the dynamic nature of social media, future research should explore longitudinal effects and consider additional moderating variables, such as parental digital literacy and cultural differences in mediation practices. Understanding these influences can help create effective strategies to improve misinformation resilience among young adults and thus, enhance their ability to critically evaluate information online.Show less

Leiden University Student Repository

Documents

In Collections

Exploring Parental Mediation as a Moderator in the Relationship Between Social Media Use and Susceptibility to Misinformation