Perceived Information and Disinformation of Generation Z in the Context of the Changing Consumer Society: A Research on News Consumption Behavior on Social Media

Abstract

This study aims to reveal the effects of disinformation and perceived trust of individuals classified as Generation Z in social media news on their motivation for news consumption. To that end, this study employs quantitative research methods to test hypotheses. The sample is determined as Generation Z aged 18 and older residing in various cities across Türkiye. Using a survey to collect data, this study gathered a total of 337 surveys from 06/15/2024 to 06/25/2024 through online and face-to-face communication. The findings show that Gen Z individuals' perception of misinformation on social media is high for fake news and low in terms of challenge competence, and that they need verification to trust news on social media and trust their personal environment. This study concludes that the motivational elements for news consumption that most affected the perceived disinformation and trust of social media among Gen Z are the dimension "technical facilities and convenience" and "rich and optional content".