Abstract:

The article examines the issue of misinformation and disinformation from the perspective of an environment that fundamentally influences how older adults aged 65 and above receive and interpret information. Empirical data were collected from eleven focus groups, where participants worked with prepared stimulus materials. Thematic analysis, involving repeated reading of transcripts, open coding, and subsequent grouping of codes, led to the identification of five main themes: responses to disinformation, strategies for coping with disinformation, factors influencing the recognition of (un)reliable information, the role of the environment, and (non)sharing of news. This article gives special attention to the topic of the environment, which contains two key sub-themes. The first sub-theme, surroundings, includes values, personal attitudes, and the close social environment, which significantly shape trust in sources and strategies for navigating the media space. The second sub-theme, education, emphasises the importance of lifelong, non-formal, and informal learning, with participants repeatedly pointing to the need to continue developing knowledge even in old age in order to maintain critical thinking and the ability to resist misinformation and disinformation. The aim of this paper is to provide a broader perspective on how the environment and educational experiences together contribute to strengthening the information resilience of older adults to resist false or manipulative content.

Keywords:

Environment, older adults, misinformation, disinformation.