Understanding International Students’ Misinformation Behavior

Social media has made it easier for international students to draw on home country sources of information alongside establishing new connections to host country sources of information. However, social media has been shown to facilitate the spread of misinformation, which could lead to increased exposure for those who are using sources from multiple countries. This exposure may result in increased vulnerability to the negative effects of misinformation. Understanding the misinformation experiences of international students will allow us to better assist a growing population of migrants and help us reformulate digital literacy strategies to be more effective in combating misinformation. This research in progress article first synthesizes the literature on the spread of misinformation and information behavior of international students. It then identifies the gap in our knowledge about the misinformation behavior of international students. Finally, it presents propositions for areas of research to bridge this gap.