Document Type

Poster

Publication Date

2-11-2026

Department 1

First Year Seminar

Department 2

Health Sciences

Abstract

This project examines how social media influences college students’ perceptions of science and scientific information. As social media has become a primary source of news for many students, it has also increased exposure to misinformation, potentially affecting trust in science. Using a convenience sample approved by the Gettysburg College IRB, data were collected through a Google Forms survey distributed to four student groups on campus. Responses from 62 students were analyzed using Google Sheets. Results show that a majority of students rely on social media for news consumption, with many spending several hours per day on these platforms. While students reported varied levels of trust in scientific information encountered on social media, most indicated that they actively check the credibility of posts and continue to trust academic sources more than social media. These findings suggest that while social media plays a significant role in shaping students’ engagement with science, information literacy remains critical for supporting informed decision-making and trust in credible scientific sources.

Comments

This poster was created based on work for FYS-DS-106A: STEM From the Ground and presented as a part of the eleventh annual CAFE Symposium on February 11, 2026.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License

Download

Included in

Social Media Commons

Share

COinS