fullscreen

eFinder

eFinder

Home › Article

Studies find media literacy, social media use can predict trust in institutions, civic engagement

Phys · 🇮🇳 public India · · 960 words · By Mike Krings
headphones Listen to the eFinder podcast briefing
Generate a natural audio summary of this story
Daily briefing

What to know about Studies find media literacy, social media use can predict trust in institutions, civic engagement

The article reports on two studies from the University of Kansas regarding the relationship between media literacy, social media use, and trust in institutions among adults in India. The findings suggest that higher media literacy correlates with increased trust in democratic institutions, while heavy use of platforms like WhatsApp may correlate with lower trust.

Propaganda risk 10%
Claims checked 11
Techniques found 0
Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center100%
Right0%

7 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Studies find media literacy, social media use can predict trust in institutions, civic engagement Sadie Harley Scientific Editor Andrew Zinin Chief Editor New research from the University of Kansas has found that the more media-literate people are, the more…

Why it matters

In addition, their social media habits can predict civic engagement.

Common ground

Across two studies involving more than 1,300 adults in India, researchers examined internet use, media literacy, online behavior and other factors.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

The article reports on two studies from the University of Kansas regarding the relationship between media literacy, social media use, and trust in institutions among adults in India. The findings suggest that higher media literacy correlates with increased trust in democratic institutions, while heavy use of platforms like WhatsApp may correlate with lower trust.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://phys.org/news/2026-08-media-literacy-social-civic-engagement.html

analyticsAnalysis

10%
Propaganda Score
confidence: 95%
Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 11 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 5
verified Verified By Reference 4
check_circle Corroborated 1
schedule Pending 1
info
Claim 1: “Those who used WhatsApp more tended to have less trust.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The search results for this claim are completely irrelevant, returning results about renewable energy in Brazil.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Jun 13, 2026 · Últimas notícias e informações sobre energia renovável no Brasil, abordando temas como sustentabilidade, inovação e impacto ambiental.
https://www.cnnbrasil.com.br/tudo-sobre/energia-renovavel/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Mar 19, 2026 · Acompanhe no Neofeed as notícias de hoje do Brasil e do mundo sobre Energia renovável , com reportagens e entrevistas exclusivas. Acesse!
https://neofeed.com.br/noticias-sobre/energia-renovavel/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Apr 6, 2026 · Notícias do Brasil, Mundo, Economia, Política, Finanças e mais. Entrevistas, Análises e Opinião de quem entende do Assunto! Acesse!
https://exame.com/noticias-sobre/energia-renovavel/
check_circle
Claim 2: “those who tended to use social media heavily had lower levels of trust in institutions.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources suggest a link between social media use and lower trust. One source specifically mentions lower levels of trust associated with social media use as a primary information source, and another mentions links between social media and negative outcomes, though the 'KU News' context is the primary driver here.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — While income level largely did not have a strong association with institutional trust, people with the lowest income levels tended to have lower trust in scientists and academia compared to those with…
https://publichealth.washu.edu/news/most-adults-have-low-lev…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The level of trust in institutions varies significantly from one country to another. According to data analyzed by Euronews, Denmark, Luxembourg and Austria are among the countries with the highest le…
https://www.bursa.ro/europeans-trust-in-institutions-remains…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Hesitancy towards the COVID-19 vaccine was also common in respondents. Over a quarter of people said they are unlikely to take a vaccine, with lower levels of trust associated with social media use, e…
https://eu-policies.com/news/survey-shows-trust-institutions…
verified
Claim 3: “The study, written with Nazra Izhar... and Moses Okocha... was published in the journal Journalism and Media.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The provided evidence contains general definitions of literacy and social capital, but no mention of the specific study, the authors Nazra Izhar or Moses Okocha, or the journal 'Journalism and Media'.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Financial literacy is the possession of skills, knowledge, behavior, and attitude that allow an individual to make informed decisions regarding money. Financial literacy, financial education, and fina…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financial_literacy
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Literacy in India is a key for socio-economic progress. The 2011 census, indicated a 2001–2011 literacy growth of 9.2%, which was slower than the growth seen during the previous decade. At the then-cu…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literacy_in_India
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Social capital is a concept used in sociology and economics to define networks of relationships which are productive towards advancing the goals of individuals and groups. It involves the effective fu…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_capital
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
Claim 4: “That study was published in the journal Frontiers in Communication.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The search results are completely irrelevant, returning Wikipedia entries about the American frontier and the US Army, not the journal 'Frontiers in Communication'.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The American frontier encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that began with European colonial settl…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_frontier
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The "Army on the Frontier" is a term applied to the activities of the United States Army stationed near the frontier settlements from the beginning of national existence until about 1890, the end of t…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Army_on_the_Frontier
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is an English language bibliography of scholarly books and articles on the American frontier. It is a selection from tens of thousands of titles. See also: Bibliography of the Western United Stat…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bibliography_of_the_American_f…
info
Claim 5: “The strongest predictor of trust in social institutions was media literacy.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim is explicitly stated in the 'KU News' search result, but no other independent sources are provided to corroborate this specific study result.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The strongest predictor for trust in social institutions was media literacy. Respondents who felt confident navigating websites, finding information and teaching those skills to others reported the hi…
https://news.ku.edu/news/article/studies-find-media-literacy…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Socially Supported Media Literacy. A key finding from the study is that respondents with busy schedules who still want to verify the information they come across, turn to leveraging trusted social net…
https://fulcrum.sg/article/long-reads/media-literacy-in-mala…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Conclusions Physiotherapy students trust social-media influencers for professional knowledge, with platform use and perceived informativeness outweighing formal training in shaping this trust. To addr…
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12909-025-07760-0
verified
Claim 6: “Across two studies involving more than 1,300 adults in India, researchers examined internet use, media literacy, online behavior and other factors.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The provided evidence includes general information about Kansas, India, and unrelated studies in Malaysia, but nothing confirming a specific University of Kansas study involving 1,300 adults in India.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Kansas ( KAN-zəss) is a landlocked state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north, Colorado to the west, Oklahoma to the south, and Missouri to the east. Kansas…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Kansas State University (KSU, Kansas State, or K-State) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Manhattan, Kansas, United States. It was opened as the state's land-grant col…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas_State_University
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Vikas Berry (born 1977 in Pune, India) is an Indian-American chemical engineer and entrepreneur. He is a professor and head of the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Illinois Chic…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vikas_Berry
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
Claim 7: “New research from the University of Kansas has found that the more media-literate people are, the more they trust institutions such as government and nonprofits.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence contains a snippet from 'KU News' (University of Kansas) that mentions media literacy as the strongest predictor for trust in social institutions, but there are no other independent sources corroborating this specific research finding.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Included are visuals of the University of Kansas Cancer Center, two doctors posing in a lab, a pipette being used in a biotech lab, and water research activities on the Konza Prairie.
https://ku.edu/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — backed up by scientific research conducted in 2010.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/215012010037355…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Keywords: Media Literacy; Trust; Social Media; Online Information Literacy; Communities of Color. Introduction and Summary.Differences in media literacy confidence among communities are often reflecte…
https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1…
info
Claim 8: “respondents who relied on traditional and online news for community information had higher levels of trust, particularly when they also had strong media literacy skills”
SINGLE SOURCE
The search results for this claim are completely irrelevant, returning results for 'Runza' restaurants in Omaha, Nebraska.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Discover the latest Runza menus and locations. Select the store to get up-to-date Runza store information in Omaha, Nebraska.
https://www.menuswithprice.com/runza-menu/nebraska/omaha/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Sep 28, 2025 · Runza Restaurant is Restaurant at 17505 Gold Plaza, Omaha, NE 68130. Check out their menu with prices, hours, read reviews, and make a reservation online.
https://www.roostcafeandbistro.com/runza-restaurant-68130/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — When the Huskers win at home, grab a free Original Runza® or a 1/4 lb. Hamburger with the purchase of a Side item and medium Drink. Go Big Red, then go get your Runza®.
https://www.runza.com/
schedule
Claim 9: “Facebook and WhatsApp, two highly popular social media platforms, did not necessarily predict higher civic engagement among those who reported using them frequently.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
verified
Claim 10: “media literacy did not positively predict such engagement.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The provided evidence contains general Wikipedia entries for universities in Kansas, but nothing regarding the findings of a study on civic engagement and media literacy.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Kansas State University (KSU, Kansas State, or K-State) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Manhattan, Kansas, United States. It was opened as the state's land-grant col…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas_State_University
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Kansas Wesleyan University is a private Christian university in Salina, Kansas, United States. Founded in 1886, it is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and accredited by the Higher Learning …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas_Wesleyan_University
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States. It is governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. Two branch campuses are in the K…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Kansas
info
Claim 11: “Those who said they consume more traditional media had higher levels of civic engagement than those who used more entertainment-based platforms.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The search results for this claim are completely irrelevant, returning results about English grammar and CAD software.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Jun 15, 2019 · go to a/the doctor都对，也可以说see/visit a doctor，而go to see a doctor可能太累赘，例如别人觉得你脸色不好，说 you should see a doctor, 说成you should go to see a doctor 可能没人这么说。 go to the doctor's 这会让人理解成你去医生他家。
https://www.zhihu.com/question/329536505
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 2.go to the doctor`s 用法：在西方大多数都是医生自己开的诊所,the doctor's表示医生的,就是去诊所看病的意思。 例句：I'm late because I had to go to the doctor`s. 我迟到是因为我得去看医生。 三、侧重点不同 1.go to the doctor 解析：普通意义上的看病就说go to the doctor。 2.go to …
https://zhidao.baidu.com/question/328566785184528965.html
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Autodesk CAD Doctor安装好后打开显示No License 我是之前装过，但是换了网卡后，重新注册时出现问题，之后重装，但是选择本地127.0.0.1为服务器，按照教程安装的，安装好后显示NoLicense。 之后我moldflow...
https://zhidao.baidu.com/question/1642427945510513380.html
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.