“Concern is highest among people who follow political news most closely, older adults and those who display more knowledge about politics in general,” the study reads. “The least concerned are those who don’t follow political news closely at all, people with the least knowledge about political affairs and the youngest adults.”
Only one-third of those aged 18 to 29 say the impact of fake news concerns them, with the number jumping to 43 percent among those 30 to 49 and up to 64 percent for those 65 and older.
“The less one follows political news, the less concerned one is about the influence of made-up news,” the study concludes.
The findings echo that of another Pew study in June that found that people believe made-up news is more important than terrorism, racism, climate change or illegal immigration.
Fifty percent of polled U.S. adults name made-up news as a very big problem, while 46 percent say climate change, 40 percent say racism and 38 percent say illegal immigration, according to the study released on June 7.