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Social Media News Sharing Habits Expose Worrying Trends in British Online Civic Culture
Very little is known about what motivates people to share political news on social media and how these behaviors might be reshaping online civic culture. A groundbreaking study now reveals concerning patterns in how Britons interact with political news online, with implications for the spread of misinformation in democratic societies.
A report authored by Professor Andrew Chadwick and Dr. Cristian Vaccari from Loughborough University’s Online Civic Culture Centre (O3C) provides the first comprehensive analysis of news sharing habits on social media among a representative sample of the British public. The research, conducted with support from Opinium Research, surveyed 2,005 UK adults in July 2018.
The findings paint a troubling picture of Britain’s online information ecosystem. More than half of British social media users (57.7 percent) encountered news they believed was not fully accurate in the month prior to the survey. Even more concerning, 42.8 percent of those who share news admitted to sharing inaccurate or false information, while 17.3 percent confessed to sharing content they knew was fabricated at the time of sharing.
These problematic sharing behaviors appear to have a demographic pattern. The study found that those most likely to share false news tend to be male, younger, and more engaged with politics. This challenges the assumption that misinformation spreads primarily among the politically disengaged.
The research also reveals gaps in the self-correcting mechanisms often touted as a strength of online communities. While nearly 43 percent of users admit to sharing inaccurate content, only 33.8 percent report being corrected by others. This means a significant portion of misinformation circulates without challenge. Particularly concerning is that only 8.5 percent of British social media users reported correcting someone else who shared fabricated news.
“The most problematic news sharing does not stimulate many social media users to correct the sharers,” note the researchers, highlighting a deficit in civic responsibility online.
The motivations behind news sharing reveal complex psychological drivers. While informing others and expressing feelings top the list, nearly one in five news sharers (18.7 percent) consider upsetting others an important motivation. This suggests that some users deliberately share content to provoke emotional reactions rather than to inform.
Political polarization appears to influence these behaviors. Conservative supporters and those with right-wing ideological beliefs are more likely to share inaccurate news and subsequently face correction from others. Meanwhile, Labour supporters and those with left-wing ideological beliefs report higher rates of encountering inaccurate news and correcting others for sharing it.
Approximately one-third (31 percent) of British social media users share news on social media at least monthly. These active sharers tend to reflect the profile of politically engaged citizens—predominantly male, more educated, and with higher interest in politics—though skewing younger than traditional politically active demographics.
The O3C, established in 2018 through Loughborough University’s Adventure Research Programme, brings together researchers from communication, information science, social psychology, and sociology to understand how social media shapes civic culture. The center aims to develop evidence-based approaches to address dysfunctional aspects of social media while promoting positive civic engagement online.
This research comes at a critical time when democracies worldwide grapple with the impact of social media on public discourse and electoral integrity. Understanding the motivations behind news sharing behaviors may help develop more effective interventions to curb the spread of misinformation while preserving the democratizing potential of digital platforms.
With no external funding for this study, the researchers acknowledged Opinium Research for providing survey services pro bono, underscoring the importance of independent research into our evolving information landscape.
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15 Comments
This study provides a sobering look at the state of news sharing on social media in the UK. The high rates of users admitting to spreading inaccurate information are alarming and require a multifaceted response.
It’s concerning to see how prevalent the spread of misinformation and disinformation is on UK social media. This issue requires a multi-pronged approach to address, from platform policies to user education.
This study sheds light on the troubling trends around the spread of misinformation and disinformation on UK social media. Developing robust media literacy programs and strengthening platform policies are crucial next steps.
This is a concerning study on the prevalence of misinformation and disinformation being shared on social media in the UK. It highlights the need for better digital literacy education and fact-checking tools to combat the spread of false news.
Interesting to see the data on the prevalence of misinformation and disinformation being shared on UK social media. Clearly, more needs to be done to address this growing challenge to democratic discourse.
The findings on UK social media users’ news sharing habits are a sobering reminder of the challenges democratic societies face in the digital age. Tackling misinformation requires a concerted effort from all stakeholders.
The revelations from this survey on how Britons interact with news on social media are quite concerning. It underscores the need for a more informed and discerning online civic culture.
This study highlights the challenges of maintaining a healthy online civic culture. Developing critical thinking skills around news consumption and sharing should be a priority, both for social media users and policymakers.
It’s disappointing to see such a large percentage of social media users in the UK admitting to spreading inaccurate or false information, even knowingly in some cases. Addressing this problem should be a priority.
The findings from this survey on UK social media users’ news sharing habits are quite worrying. Addressing the spread of misinformation and disinformation should be a top priority for policymakers and tech platforms.
Interesting to see that over 40% of news sharers admitted to spreading inaccurate information, even knowingly in some cases. Social media platforms need to take stronger action to curb the viral spread of misinformation.
I agree, the platforms need to do more to address this issue. But individual users also have a responsibility to be more discerning about what they share online.
The findings on Britons’ news sharing habits are quite troubling. It underscores the need for greater transparency and accountability around the dissemination of information on social media platforms.
This survey provides valuable insights into the dynamics of how news is shared and potentially distorted on social media in the UK. The high rate of users admitting to spreading inaccurate information is alarming.
Agreed, the survey results indicate a need for a renewed focus on digital media literacy to empower users to be more discerning and responsible when sharing news online.