Investigating the Design of Social Networking Sites to Examine the Spread of Political Misinformation Using the Uses and Gratifications Theory

The shift from mass media to personalized content has gained popularity. Activity on social networking sites (SNS) showed that these platforms are designed to encourage social interaction and do not endorse critical thinking. This sentiment aligns with the Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT), which correlates the motivation to share misinformation on social media to fulfill their needs or gratification, like their desire for social validation or affirmation of their beliefs. Thus, this paper examines the general design of social networking sites and how they transpired during the 2022 Philippine presidential elections. This study proposed hypotheses on how each design element corresponds with the motivational factors influencing the spread of political misinformation. Using Structural Equations Modeling (SEM), the study aims to test these constructs empirically. Results indicated that altruism, socialization, and entertainment, and status-seeking equally correlate as predictors of misinformation because they are embedded with the existing design of SNS. Therefore, addressing the issue would require redesigning these SNS to counteract the spread of fake news.