A new article co‑authored by Dr. Matthew Morse, assistant professor of Communication Studies at Louisiana Tech University, has highlighted how social media can amplify health misinformation risks for older adults. The piece, titled “A Perfect Storm: How Social Media May Heighten Older Adults’ Vulnerability to Health Misinformation,” appears in the journal Educational Gerontology.
The research team—Morse, Kacie Mennie of Louisiana Tech, and Mark LaCour of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette—draws on insights from communication, psychology, cognitive aging, digital literacy and misinformation studies. Their interdisciplinary approach examines how platform features interact with age‑related changes in memory and attention, differences in health and digital literacy, and trust within social networks.
Authors argue that algorithmic amplification and repeated exposure can make misleading health claims feel familiar, even when users forget whether the source was a health professional, an advertisement or a friend’s post. This combination of factors can make it easier to remember false information while making verification more demanding.
The review stresses that older adults are a diverse group; age alone does not determine vulnerability. Variations in resources, relationships and information environments shape risk, and social media can still provide meaningful benefits for this population.
To address misinformation, the authors propose strategies such as warning labels, corrections and educational interventions that present accurate information in a clear, source‑transparent, and respectful manner. These approaches aim to make reliable information easier to understand, remember and verify without overloading users.
The article calls on researchers, healthcare professionals, educators and digital platforms to develop and evaluate methods that support informed decision‑making while preserving older adults’ autonomy. The full study is available via DOI https://doi.org/10.1080/03601277.2026.2744721 and can be accessed by contacting Dr. Morse at mmorse@latech.edu.
