The role of critical thinking and media literacy in enhancing fake news detection among students

The widespread circulation of misinformation through social media has created substantial challenges for young people in critically evaluating online information. This study investigates the associations among critical thinking, media literacy, curiosity, and the ability to identify fake news among university students. A total of 308 students from social science disciplines completed validated measures assessing critical thinking dispositions, curiosity, media literacy, and accuracy in distinguishing between authentic and fabricated news presented in social media formats. The findings revealed that students with stronger media literacy and critical thinking skills were more successful in identifying fake news. Higher detection accuracy was also associated with greater curiosity and confidence, as well as lower perceived difficulty when evaluating online content. In addition, curiosity emerged as a significant predictor of knowledge exploration, suggesting that epistemic motivation encourages more thorough information verification and learning processes. These results underscore the importance of educational initiatives that combine media literacy, critical thinking, and the development of epistemic emotions within higher education curricula. Such efforts may enhance students’ reflective judgment and information evaluation abilities, providing stronger protection against misinformation in an increasingly digital information environment.