To Click or Not to Click: Understanding Online Trust and Risk Perception in Older Adults

• In Event: Emotion, Imagination, and Engagement: Affective Elements of Adults' Digital Practices

Abstract

Digital trust plays a role in both older adults’ participation in online environments and their protection from misinformation and fraud. This study investigates an interactive workshop designed for adults aged 60 and older in rural West Texas to strengthen their digital literacy in three categories: photovisual, information, and socioemotional literacy. The intervention included a combination of fake news articles, viral videos, and deceptive shopping emails to simulate real-world online encounters. Participants completed a pre-test, participated in the workshop, and took a post-test. Findings indicate improved ability to distinguish trustworthy from deceptive content and greater confidence in navigating digital environments. However, the AI-generated fake videos received mixed results, with some participants expressing difficulty in identifying their inauthenticity.

Author

• Merve Basdogan, Texas Tech University