Older people’s media literacy can be boosted in just 60 minutes – new study

A new study from Australian researchers shows that older people can significantly improve their ability to spot misinformation with just sixty minutes of training. The Conversation reports on research with seventy-nine participants aged fifty-five and older, who were taught how to fact-check, identify unreliable sources, and recognize their own biases. The results were striking: media literacy levels improved by twenty-three percent on average, while confidence in navigating the online world jumped thirty-two percent. Gains did diminish somewhat over three months, but remained eleven percent higher than baseline. Researchers are now rolling out a program called Stay Smart Online through libraries across Australia, recognizing that while a single training session helps, media literacy works best as an ongoing practice.

Listen to this story

Hear this and more stories in a personalized audio briefing.

Open The Chonkerton