Fact or Fiction
How do we decide if something is true?
Understanding whether to believe what we read or hear, or what caveats to apply, can present a separate set of challenges when it comes to seeking out and discovering information. Our data shows that making these judgments is increasingly complicated.
said the pandemic has made them more cautious about what is true
More than three-quarters (78%) still see understanding truth and learning facts as the most important part of education. However, seven in 10 (69%) say that it has become harder to clarify if something is true and that the pandemic has made them more cautious about making this distinction (74%), rising to more than 80% in India, Mexico, and South Africa. With research by PwC revealing that the first year of the pandemic saw an estimated 30% increase in the amount of data in circulation, this is not surprising.19
In the UK, a recent Ofcom study of internet users reinforced these findings. Although seven in 10 adults (69%) said they were confident in identifying misinformation, only two in 10 (22%) could correctly identify the trademarks of an authentic post.20
Our survey showed that 80% usually consult more than one source to understand if something is true and believe all truths should be backed up by solid evidence. Building on this, research by Reuters and The University of Oxford, exploring how people make sense of the news they encounter on search engines, social media, and messaging apps, found that many draw on social cues when assessing how credible information might be. For example, they consider who is sharing the information, the comments and likes it receives, and the ranking of search results.21
Trusting the experts
Despite most of us turning to the internet when seeking out new knowledge, after two years of exposure to scientists and academic research talking about COVID-19, the majority rely on experts to understand whether something is truthful. Of those surveyed, almost eight in 10 (79%) said they saw universities and academic institutions having an important role in helping them to differentiate between fact and fiction, while almost half (48%) said they were confident something was credible when it was backed up by relevant experts.
This contrasts with attitudes towards governments and politicians. Across almost all markets, less than half reported seeing this group as playing an important role in helping them to differentiate between fact and fiction, or in upholding the truth. Contrastingly in India, this rose dramatically to more than 70%, which could be reflection of a different political climate and broader sentiment towards politicians.
Equally, while social media continues to dominate culture and society, it was seen by fewer people globally (50%) as being more important for upholding the truth than other sources. In the UK, one quarter (27%) rely on social media for helping them to understand what is truthful, which rises significantly for those aged 16-24 (54%). In India, this rises to a staggering four in five (80%).
To what extent do you see the following as playing an important role in helping us to differentiate between fact and fiction?
Google and other search engines
Social media
Established news sources
Government and politicians
16-24 year olds cited social media
But we place less emphasis on Government and politicians (36%) social media (27%) or whatsapp (20%)
However, over half (54%) of 16-24 years olds see social media as playing an important role in helping us differentiate between fact and fiction
Where does truth originate?
Beyond questions over where we go for truthful information, we are divided on the source of truth. We asked respondents to select where they believe truth originates. Though the majority chose academic research, this accounts for just three in 10 (32%) of those surveyed, with 14% arguing that it comes from established news sources, 11% teachers and educational institutions, and 13% the less tangible ‘what we think, feel, and do.’
Adding to this, only half (51%) agree that the truth is the same for all people, while nearly the same amount (49%) agree that a work of fiction can represent the truth better than non-fiction.
This rises to three quarters (76%) in India, but falls to 26% among the over 55s globally. The results demonstrate that how we see truth is personal and often reflective of the different experiences we have of the world. For example, in 2020, there was an increase in people reading books by black authors22—including many fiction titles—encouraging important conversations on the themes and issues emerging from the Black Lives Matter movement around the world. Similarly, OUP author Jodie Lancent-Grant has played a key role in calls for more representation of the LGBTQ+ community in children’s books, to reflect the different variations of families that exist in today's world.23
Almost half (49%) agree that fiction can represent truth better than non-fiction. Previous research from OUP revealed that two thirds (66%) of UK parents look for books that teach their child about wider society or have a meaningful message at their heart.
In the last five years, have you found out factual information or discovered a new fact from any the following sources?
Government and politicians
Universities and academic institutions
Established news sources
Parents
Teachers
Family members and friends
Growing up, we tend to look to parents, teachers, and loved ones to help uphold the truth, but also have high levels of trust in traditional institutions like politicians and academia.
Does truth evolve over time?
Opinions were also split on the permanence of truth, whether it is something that evolves over time or is absolute. Over half of respondents (52%) felt that once something is true it is true forever, while almost two thirds (65%) said that they think the truth and facts change over time. There were noticeable differences between markets—while most Indians agreed that truth is permanent (76%), less than a third of UK respondents (29%) said the same.