New research has found that the vast majority of internet users lack any confidence in what they see and read online. Only eight per cent of them globally think that three quarters or more of the information they get from social media is true, findings from ‘Wave X – Remix Culture’, the 10th global social media tracker carried out by media agency UM.
Surveying over 56,000 active internet users across 81 countries, it found that in an age of increasing uncertainty many people simply do not trust what they see online, especially on social media. Almost half – 46 per cent – of all users believe most of the news they see online is fake and less than half say they are influenced by opinions shared online.
The survey found that 47 per cent say they now have less faith in experts and institutions than in previous times. Eamon Fitzpatrick (above), MD, IPG Mediabrands Ireland, said the research highlights how headlines over the past two years have made people more aware of issues surrounding credibility and transparency on the internet.
It is particularly the case with social media. Scandals like Cambridge Analytica have had a big impact on the extent to which people question what they see and hear online. Legislation like the EU’s GDPR is working towards rebuilding that trust, especially regarding what is done with our personal data and brands will have a role to play in the future.
The study also points to people starting to feel less tied to social media. The percentage of respondents globally who ‘worry about missing out if they don’t visit their social networks’ dropped by four points from the Wave 9 study in 2017, to 46 per cent. The Irish seem to have less FOMO than our global counterparts with just 37 per cent agreeing with the statement.
However, the rate rises to 46 per cent among 16-34’s.
When asked which platforms people worldwide would describe as a ‘great place for someone like me’, the non-interactive sites Netflix and YouTube came first and second on 28 per cent and 27 per cent respectively, with Spotify third on 27 per cent. Social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat all ranked outside the top five.
Ireland follows a similar pattern to the global one. The question around what platforms ‘introduce me to cultural trends’ also paints a similar picture for Ireland. Facebook is at 19 per cent, whereas Twitter is at 28 per cent, YouTube at 29 per cent and Instagram at 28 per cent. In Ireland, 78 per cent agreed that social networks help them stay in touch with friends.
The number of people who say that online social platforms help them to feel they belong was up by five points globally compared to the Wave 5 survey in 2010. Liz Haas, head of client insight EMEA at UM, said that where divisions between people are brought into sharp focus by events like Brexit and the gilets jaunes protests in France, it is clear consumers believe that social media has a central role to play in enabling users to feel part of a community.
