This dissertation, “An Analysis of Misinformation Trends in Social Media News Posts,” explores how misinformation is created, presented, and spread across social media platforms and its impact on user perception and behavior. As social media has become a major source of news, the rapid spread of false information has become a serious concern in digital communication. The study focuses on misinformation in areas such as politics, health, celebrity news, and finance, and examines strategies used to increase engagement, including clickbait headlines, emotional language, sensational content, and manipulated visuals. It also analyzes how user behavior, such as dependence on likes, shares, and personal beliefs, contributes to the spread of misinformation. Using a quantitative research methodology, data was collected through structured questionnaires from social media users. The findings reveal that political and health-related misinformation spreads the fastest due to its emotional appeal and the interactive nature of social media platforms. The study concludes that misinformation is influenced by content strategies, platform mechanisms, and user psychology, emphasizing the importance of digital literacy, critical thinking, and responsible content sharing to reduce its impact.
Dey et al. (Thu,) studied this question.