Preference of Device on Social Media Browsing as a Predictor of Deception: The Link Between UX and Mis/Disinformation Vulnerability

This paper examines how a user's preference of device while browsing social media may affect his/her risk of falling prey to misinformation and disinformation attacks. An experimental survey
$(\mathrm{N}=327)$
was deployed across the United States, where participants were tested on their ability to discern facts against misleading news content. The findings strongly suggest
$(\mathrm{p}=.000)$
that device preference for social media use is a strong determinant of misinformation and disinformation vulnerability and that users who preferred desktop computers such as PCs and laptops performed poorly compared to their counterparts who preferred handheld devices such as smartphones and tablets. This paper hopes to reach technology policy experts, digital forensic officers, communication academics, and policymakers that may find this area of cyber deception to their interest.