Influencers as Nodes of Problematic Content: Misinformation, Hate Speech, and Youth Responses

Abstract

This research explores the way in which young people encounter fake news through the profiles of influencers, as well as its association with their behaviour in avoiding misinformation. The study also examines how exposure to comments containing hate speech is related to either taking a stance of passive observation, or an attitude of active dissemination. This platform-based contextualization enables an integrated assessment of misinformation exposure/avoidance and hate-speech-related responses in youth audiences. Regarding hate speech, sexual orientation has been added to the mix to identify whether, in addition to gender differences, there are specific patterns of vulnerability associated with sexual diversity. A survey was conducted involving 1,800 adolescents and young adults from 14–24 years of age who reside in Spain. The findings indicate that influencers have become a key source of news for young people, which highlights the pivotal role played by these figures as information mediators within the youth ecosystem. Practices involving information verification are mostly driven by curiosity or surprise, whereas consistently stronger and active fact-checking is conducted by those who place their trust in the influencers they follow. As for exposure to hate speech, the phenomenon is widespread, with girls claiming to be the target of such aggression more often. Passivity is the dominant response across groups, whereas sharing is more frequent among boys. Sexual minorities, especially bisexual and homosexual, are more exposed to hate speech than their heterosexual peers. In terms of dissemination, people with other sexual orientations, as well as heterosexuals, engage in the highest levels of sharing, while homosexual youth display the lowest levels, making the latter group the most vulnerable.