Over 50% of Irish People Struggle to Tell the Difference Between Real News and Fake News

57% of people in Ireland struggle to tell the difference between real news and fake news, according to Deloitte Ireland’s latest Digital Consumer Trends report on digital usage and entertainment.

85% feel that fake news is a major problem today, with 74% relying on multiple sources for news and information.

The report also found that 42% of people in Ireland stopped using at least one social media platform, either permanently or temporarily, in the last year, with 21% doing so because it didn’t make them feel good about themselves and 5% doing so because they were being harassed or bullied.

The 2021 Deloitte Digital Consumer Trends report is an annual survey of 1,000 consumers in Ireland, aged between 18 and 75, which explores their digital usage and attitudes towards technology.

Speaking about the report, John Kehoe, Audit Partner at Deloitte Ireland said: “The phone remains our preferred device for checking bank balances and online searches and it is very close to being the preferred device for online shopping.

“The pandemic has led to changes in what we do on our phones, with respondents increasingly using their phones to shop, bank and attend medical appointments.

“In last year’s survey, the phone was the most popular device for gaming; however, in the current year, the games console has overtaken the phone across most age groups, which may be impacted by significant console releases in late 2020.

“When it comes to living room entertainment, the TV reigns supreme across all age groups for watching TV and films.

“So, while smartphone penetration has grown, the increased amount of time spent at home over the last two years would appear to have boosted the popularity of more traditional devices for these activities.”

Social media and fake news

“A huge number of respondents – over two-fifths – stopped using one or more social media platforms, either temporarily or permanently, in the last year.

A perception of too much fake news and the content being too negative were among the top reasons given for this. There was also a significant amount who felt that it wasn’t making them feel good about themselves along with a small, but still significant, amount who were experiencing bullying or harassment.

With a massive 85% of all respondents believing that fake news is a major problem – and 57% feeling that it is difficult to tell the difference between fake news and real news – the recent announcement that a new Media Commission is to be established and a national Online Safety Commissioner appointed, is very timely,” said Daryl Hanberry, Partner and Head of the Technology, Media and Telecommunications Industry Group at Deloitte.

While 76% of respondents use social media and instant messaging apps on a daily basis across all devices, over two-fifths (42%) of respondents have stopped using at least one social media platform, either temporarily or permanently, over the last year.

Of those who did, the most common reason cited for doing so is boredom with content (41%), followed by too much fake news (30%); the content being too negative (30%); spending too much time on the platform (25%); privacy concerns (23%); because it didn’t make them feel good about themselves (21%); and that they were being harassed or bullied on the platform(s) (5%).

85% of all respondents feel that fake news is a major problem today, with 74% relying on multiple sources for news and information, in order to get a full picture.

65% believe that news from traditional news providers is usually trustworthy. 16% believe that news from social media platforms is usually trustworthy; this increases to 28% among 18-24-year-olds. 57% of all respondents feel that it is difficult to tell what is fake news and what is real.