THE INDIFFERENT MIGRANTS: USES AND GRATIFICATIONS OF (MIS)INFORMATION SHARING ON WHATSAPP AMONG BABY BOOMERS IN SINGAPORE

Abstract

Advances in technology bring forth new channels for disseminating and receiving information, such as social networking sites and mobile messaging applications. With the absence of gatekeepers online, virtually any user can be a content creator. Problems surrounding content authenticity have emerged, escalating to a global phenomenon of fake news and misinformation. A better understanding of the motivations behind information dissemination online is necessary to address this global issue. In Singapore, baby boomers born between 1946 and 1965 represent the main age group that is most susceptible to sharing misinformation online, particularly on the mobile messaging application WhatsApp. By applying the theoretical framework of Uses and Gratifications theory, coupled with a secondary analytical framework of digital literacy, this paper unravels the motivations behind WhatsApp usage by interviewing 30 baby boomers and examines their digital literacy skills in evaluating information on WhatsApp. Findings show that the baby boomers are ultimately indifferent to misinformation, basing the authenticity of messages received on the level of trust in their interpersonal relationships with the message sender. Additionally, baby boomers possess limited digital literacy skills compared to that of digital natives, resulting in poor evaluation of information received and shared. Overall, the study reveals a lack of digital literacy among baby boomers, highlighting the need for definitive solutions to combat the widespread issue of fake news in both Singapore and the world.