Relying on influencers for your daily dose of news can prove harmful

Next time you see a social media influencer suggest a fitness and diet routine or talk about a wider topic that affects the world, you might want to take it with a pinch of salt. A United Nations study has found that a majority of these influencers don’t verify information before sharing it with their audiences. The UN’s scientific and cultural arm, UNESCO, has raised concerns that in doing so, several huge online celebrities are spreading misleading claims.

The study surveyed 500 digital content creators with more than 1,000 followers from 45 countries and territories in August and September 2024.

As per the study, 62 per cent of those surveyed admitted that they do not check the accuracy of the content before sharing it. Nearly one-third of influencers said if the information originates from a trusted source, they share it without checking whether it is correct or not. Only 37 per cent of them said they verified the information with a fact-checking site before sharing it on their accounts.

However, only 12 per cent of them said their content was about "current affairs/politics and the economy". Despite the low number, UNESCO warned that “the low prevalence of fact-checking highlights their vulnerability to misinformation, which can have far-reaching consequences for public discourse and trust in media.”

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More than four in 10 influencers judged an information's credibility by its “popularity”. The more likes and views it had, the more likely they were to share it. One in five perceived a piece of information as valid if trusted friends and experts were a common factor. Only 17 per cent checked for relevant documents and evidence and only shared the information if they were convinced.

Social media influencers lack training on fact-checking

“The prevalent lack of rigorous critical evaluation of information highlights an urgent need to enhance creators’ media and information literacy skills, including identifying and using reliable fact-checking resources,” UNESCO said.

The study gains importance in the wake of growing dependency among the youth on social media for news. As per a Pew Research Center survey, almost 40 per cent of Americans aged 18 to 29 get their news from influencers.

Another survey found that more than half of American adults sometimes get their news from social media.

The UNESCO report stated that "digital content creators often lack formal training" in checking facts and also do not have the "skills and tools to assess sources’ credibility and verify facts."

Most of the influencers also do not rely on official documents. Roughly six in 10 influencers took their personal experiences into consideration, while nearly 40 per cent did their own research and talked to sources who know about the matter. Only 37 per cent of them relied on mainstream news and online sources.