CHECKING THE VERACITY OF THE CONTENT OF YOUTUBE VIDEOS THAT UNIVERSITY STUDENTS USE TO STUDY

Abstract

Higher education students have used Youtube as a source of study, however, in a context of misinformation, attention is needed regarding the use of this social network. With the aim of analyzing how university students check the veracity of the content of Youtube videos they use to study, a qualitative research was carried out using Grounded Theory. 194 responses were collected through an online questionnaire and 23 online interviews were carried out. The data were analyzed with the help of Atlas.TI software. Students trusting on platform data - for example, using the number of views as a criterion for choosing a video - are more exposed to misinformation. The students surveyed also indicated different strategies to check the content of the videos - how to compare the content with other sources - and reported that this learning of verification stemmed from their experiences at university, family and internet. Thus, maximizing the benefits and minimizing the harmful consequences of using Youtube for studies depends on a critical use of this technology by students.