Abstract:
Conspiracy beliefs, fuelled by misinformation, have become increasingly prominent in
the digital era, particularly through social media platforms. This study investigates the
association between social networking usage and conspiracy beliefs among
undergraduate students in the Colombo district of Sri Lanka. A descriptive cross
sectional correlational design was used, with data collected from 452 undergraduates
(aged 18 to 26) from various state and private universities in the district. The survey
was conducted between May 2023 and January 2024. Ethical approval was obtained
from the Ethics Review Committee at KIU. Participants completed two self-report
instruments through an online survey platform: The Social Networking Usage
Questionnaire (SNUQ) and the Generic Conspiracist Belief Scale (GCBS). The SNUQ,
specifically developed for this study, assessed the frequency, intensity, and patterns of
social media use, including engagement. Participants rated their responses on a 5-point
Likert scale (1 = Never, 5 = Very Often). Results indicated a mean score of 1.39 for
social networking usage, indicating moderate usage, with males reporting slightly
higher usage than females. The GCBS, a validated scale, measured the degree of belief
in conspiracy theories across domains such as politics, science, health, and paranormal
phenomena, using a similar Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree, 5 = Strongly Agree),
resulting in a mean score of 3.11., reflecting a moderate endorsement. Notable
variations in conspiracy beliefs were identified based on demographic factors, including
age, gender, academic field, and residential area, with younger participants (aged 18 to
23) and those from urban areas exhibiting higher endorsement levels. A correlation
analysis found a significant negative relationship between social networking usage and
conspiracy beliefs (r = -0.457, p < 0.01), indicating that increased social networking
usage was associated with lower endorsement of conspiracy theories. Demographic
factors also showed varying degrees of association with conspiracy beliefs. The findings
underscore the influence of social media on shaping Conspiracy beliefs among
undergraduates, highlighting the necessity of addressing misinformation and promoting
critical thinking among the younger generation in the digital era. Future research is
recommended to explore further the mechanisms underlying this association and to
develop targeted interventions aiming at mitigating the spread of conspiracy theories
through social media.
