Black Teens Show Greater Skepticism Toward Social Media Misinformation, Study Finds

Black and Latino Teens Excel at Identifying Online Racial Misinformation, New Study Finds

A groundbreaking study has revealed that Black and Latino teenagers possess significantly stronger digital literacy skills than their white peers, particularly when evaluating content related to race and ethnicity online. These teens demonstrate greater ability to identify false claims and racist propaganda, and are more likely to verify questionable information with credible sources and respond with fact-based corrections.

The research, published in the journal New Media & Society and announced on February 2 by the University of California Riverside, comes at a time when AI platforms and social media continue to spread racial misinformation. Last year, X’s AI chatbot Grok promoted the “white genocide” conspiracy theory regarding South Africa, while ChatGPT has previously generated racist responses when asked certain questions about African Americans.

“This work reveals that adolescents of color are already engaging in sophisticated forms of digital literacy,” said Avriel Epps, AI expert and assistant professor at UC Riverside’s School of Education, who led the study. “They have developed these critical skills in many cases from their lived experiences navigating online racism, not necessarily from school-based instruction.”

The findings challenge longstanding assumptions from previous research suggesting Black teens were less digitally literate than other youth groups. Suspicious of these earlier conclusions, Epps collaborated with Brendesha Tynes, a University of Southern California professor of education and psychology who leads the National Survey of Critical Digital Literacy, a longitudinal research study examining digital literacy skills among youth aged 11 to 19.

Their research tracked more than 100 Black adolescents, along with comparable numbers of Latino and white peers, asking them to document how often they analyzed, responded to, or ignored race-related digital content. The results showed distinct racial differences in what researchers define as Critical Race Digital Literacy (CRDL).

“It is 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,” Tynes explained.

The data revealed a clear pattern: Black and Latino teens were more likely to challenge racist content by calling out misinformation on their own social media accounts or sharing articles from reputable sources to counter false narratives.

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

The researchers attribute this enhanced digital literacy to lived experiences that have made Black and Latino youth more vigilant online. “They keep their eyes open and are hyper vigilant,” said Epps. “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 youth were less likely to question misleading posts about race—not due to lower intelligence, Epps emphasized, but because “they aren’t the targets of digital racism in the way that youth of color are.”

The study highlights a significant gap in current educational approaches. While high schools teach general media literacy, many avoid addressing racial aspects of online disinformation, a situation exacerbated by political backlash against teaching critical race theory and other aspects of systemic racism in U.S. schools.

The researchers hope their findings will lead to more inclusive educational approaches that recognize and build upon the skills these young people have already developed. “Our goal is to honor these skills and to incorporate such lessons into education, making it more relevant and just,” Epps stated.

She emphasized that the main takeaway for educators is the importance of culturally relevant teaching across all subjects: “Culturally responsive pedagogy matters in math. It matters in English and language arts. It matters for digital literacy and digital citizenship.”

As misinformation continues to proliferate online, the study suggests that engaging with these youth and their lived experiences could provide valuable insights for developing more effective approaches to combat digital racism and disinformation.