Black Teens More Adept at Identifying Social Media Disinformation Than White Counterparts, Study Finds

A groundbreaking study has revealed that Black and Latino teenagers possess more sophisticated digital literacy skills than their white counterparts, particularly when evaluating online content related to race and ethnicity. The research, published in the journal New Media & Society, challenges long-standing assumptions about digital literacy disparities among racial groups.

According to findings announced on February 2 by researchers at the University of California Riverside, Black and Latino teens demonstrate greater proficiency in identifying false claims and racist propaganda online. They also more frequently verify dubious posts with credible sources and respond with fact-based corrections to misinformation.

This revelation comes at a time when misinformation runs rampant across digital platforms. Last year, X’s AI platform Grok promoted the conspiracy theory of “white genocide” in South Africa, while ChatGPT has previously generated racist responses to queries about African Americans. These instances represent only a fraction of the disinformation circulating online that young people must navigate.

Lead researcher Avriel Epps, an AI expert and assistant professor at UC Riverside’s School of Education, explained that these skills weren’t necessarily developed through formal education. “This work reveals that adolescents of color are already engaging in sophisticated forms of digital literacy,” Epps stated. “They have developed these critical skills in many cases from their lived experiences navigating online racism, not necessarily from school-based instruction.”

The study’s findings directly contradict previous research suggesting that Black teens lag behind in digital literacy. This inconsistency prompted Epps to collaborate with Brendesha Tynes, a professor of education and psychology at the University of Southern California and principal investigator of the National Survey of Critical Digital Literacy.

Their methodology involved tracking more than 100 Black adolescents, along with comparable numbers of Latino and white peers, documenting how often they analyzed, responded to, or ignored race-related digital content. The results revealed significant racial differences in what the researchers term “Critical Race Digital Literacy” (CRDL).

Tynes defines CRDL as “essentially being able to recognize, critique, and evaluate digital media that young people consume with a lens that’s focused on race and how it manifests racism.”

The data showed that Black and Latino teens were significantly more likely to challenge racist content online, either by directly refuting misinformation on their social media accounts or by sharing articles from reputable sources to counter false narratives.

“These teens are often doing this work for their communities,” noted Epps. “It’s very possible they’re posting accurate information about social justice movements or correcting harmful stereotypes because they feel a sense of responsibility.”

Researchers attribute this heightened digital awareness to the lived experiences of Black and Latino youth. “They keep their eyes open and are hyper vigilant,” Epps explained. “They have absorbed these skill sets from having to navigate a world where a racial microaggression could happen at any time. So, it makes sense that would translate to their digital spaces.”

In contrast, white teenagers were less likely to question misleading posts about race—not due to intellectual differences, but because they haven’t needed to develop the same vigilance. “They aren’t the targets of digital racism in the way that youth of color are,” Epps pointed out.

The study also highlights a concerning gap in educational approaches. While high schools are teaching media literacy, many fail to address racial aspects of online disinformation. This gap has widened amid political backlash against teaching critical race theory and other concepts related to systemic racism in U.S. schools.

The researchers hope their findings will lead to more inclusive educational strategies that recognize and build upon the sophisticated digital literacy skills already possessed by students of color. Their goal, according to Epps, is to make education “more relevant and just” by acknowledging these capabilities.

For educators, the key message is that cultural relevance matters across all subjects. “Culturally responsive pedagogy matters in math. It matters in English and language arts. It matters for digital literacy and digital citizenship,” Epps emphasized.

This research provides valuable insight into how different lived experiences shape digital literacy skills and underscores the importance of incorporating diverse perspectives into educational curricula about online information consumption.