Global Journal of Human-Social Science, A: Arts and Humanities, Volume 22 Issue 4

Table 4: Social networks and the news of COVID-19 The first publications that emerged on social networks about the Coronavirus (COVID 19) refer that the virus is less severe than the flu virus I...: n % % of total inquired (n=444) I have just read/viewed the post 136 26.5% 30.6% I have placed an emotion icon (e.g., like) 6 1.2% 1.4% I have commented on this type of post 16 3.1% 3.6% I have shared this information on my social network 22 4.3% 5.0% I have verified the veracity of this information in other sources of information (e.g., Internet sites) 100 19.5% 22.5% I have verified if from official sources 99 19.3% 22.3% I have not had access to this type of publication 70 13.6% 15.8% I have ignored the post 64 12.5% 14.4% 513 V. C onclusions According to the analysis of the results, with the expansion of technologies, the Internet, and social networks, as well as its massive use and false news, misinformation spreads faster and to a more significant number of people, interfering in a negative intentional way in various sectors of society. This situation has caused great concern in all sectors, and there is currently a much greater tendency to validate the veracity of the information provided on the Internet. However, it is still impossible to validate all of the content circulating through these networks. It is verified that there is a significant difference in using social networks among the female population in both countries. Statistically, they are the ones that spend the most time on social networks. According to the participants in this research study, YouTube, Facebook, and WhatsApp are the most popular social networks. When they were questioned about the veracity of the content circulating on social networks, we verified a clear division amongst those inquired, between those who believe that the published content is credible and those who have doubts about its veracity. However, a significant number of users state that networks are a reasonable means of obtaining information. A large number of respondents expressed concern about the veracity of the information circulating on social networks. When explicitly asked about COVID-19 and how they obtained information about the pandemic, we observed that a significant majority did not access official sources to verify the content disseminated on their social networks. This study allows us to state a clear division between users who consider social networks to be a good source of information and those who have any doubts about the veracity of the information that circulates on these platforms. It should be noted that a large majority of those surveyed consider that there is a real problem in the veracity of the information circulating on social networks. In addition, the study demonstrates erratic behavior on social network users when they have been questioned about how they have obtained and validated certain information, in this case, about false news about COVID-19. As a result, it is vital to educate Internet users to be critical of the information they receive and distinguish between what is relevant and insignificant. Schools should develop a curriculum to teach students to discern between true and false information. Faced with this situation is an essential global strategy for countries to achieve digital literacy to combat Fake News. A cknowledgments This work is financed with National Funds through the FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology, IP, within the framework of the Ref ª UIDB/ 05507/2020 project. We also want to thank the Center for Studies in Education and Innovation (CI&DEI) and the Polytechnic Institute of Guarda, Portugal, for their support. R eferences R éférences R eferencias 1. Alvino, C. (Ed.). (21 de 04 de 2021). Estadísticas de la situación digital de México en el 2020-2021. Obtido em 12 de 09 de 2021, de Branch: https:// branch.com.co/marketing-digital/estadisticas-de-la- situacion-digital-de-mexico-en-el-2020-2021/ 2. ANACOM. (01 de 10 de 2021). Serviço de acesso à Internet em local fixo - 1.º semestre de 2021. Obtido de ANACOM: https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp? contentId=1698701 3. ANACOM. (2021). Serviço de acesso à Internet em local fixo 1S2021. https://www.anacom.pt/stream ing/SAI1S2021.pdf?contentId=1698721&field=ATT ACHED_FILE: ANACOM. 4. AVAAZ. (11 de 05 de 2021). Facebook's Climate of Deception: How Viral Misinformation Fuels the © 2022 Global Journals Volume XXII Issue IV Version I 21 ( ) Global Journal of Human Social Science - Year 2022 A 7 Portugal and Mexico: An Analysis of Fake News in Times of Covid-19 Pandemic