Making it slightly more challenging to share content on social media could effectively combat misinformation, according to new research from the University of Copenhagen.
The study, published in npj Complexity, suggests that introducing “digital friction” into the sharing process can disrupt the rapid spread of fake news.
While platforms like Facebook and X prioritise easy sharing, this speed often facilitates the spread of sensational but false information. The researchers propose introducing a pause to encourage reflection.
“Our idea is to introduce a small pause in the sharing process to make people reflect on what they’re sharing before clicking the button,” said Laura Jahn, a PhD student and lead author of the study.
Learning element
However, the modelling showed that friction alone reduced the overall volume of sharing but did not necessarily improve the quality of content shared. To address this, the team introduced a “learning element” to the model.
“It could be a pop-up with a short quiz asking questions like: How is misinformation defined, and what does this social media platform do to limit fake news?” said Professor Vincent F. Hendricks. “The idea is that this learning element will prompt users to reflect on their behaviour and share fewer problematic posts.”
The study found that combining friction with this learning component significantly increased the average quality of shared posts. The researchers now aim to test these strategies in real-world settings, potentially in collaboration with major tech platforms.
