PERCEPTIONS AND REACTIONS TO FAKE NEWS IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Abstract

The accelerated advance of social networks and the growing preference for online news have increased concerns about spreading fake news. This article was developed to explore and analyze perceptions, levels of awareness, and reactions of university students in Ecuador to fake news. The quantitative, descriptive, and correlational methodology was based on an online survey with closed Likert-type questions. Probabilistic sampling with a random selection of participants was used. Statistical analysis was performed with Python, considering frequencies, percentages, and tests of differences and correlations between variables. Respondents included primarily young women in their second year of studies, belonging to the faculties of Law and Governance and Economics and Business Administration of a private university. Most respondents recognized fake news as a significant problem and its negative impact. A moderate positive correlation was found between exposure to fake news and decreased credibility in the media. These results underscore the need to develop educational interventions that improve students' ability to identify and counteract fake news using innovative and technological approaches.