Savvy Senior: July 18, 2019 How Seniors Can Spot Fake News

Dear Savvy Senior,

I recently read that seniors are the number one purveyor of fake news on the Internet. Is this true, or is it fake news too? If it’s true, how can seniors go about spotting fake news?

Faked Out Senior

Dear Faked Out,

Yes, it’s true. According to a recent study published in the journal Science Advances, people aged 65 and older are almost four times more likely to share fake news on social media than younger people.

Why do older users share fake news more often? There are two theories. The first is that seniors, who came to the Internet later, sometimes lack the digital liter...