# Exposure to Social Engagement Metrics Increases Vulnerability to Misinformation

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2005.04682 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2005.04682/

## Key facts

- Cited by 5 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 10 May 2020.

## Built on by (most cited first, 5 of 5)

- [Factuality Challenges in the Era of Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2310.05189/) (2023)
- [MisinfoEval: Generative AI in the Era of "Alternative Facts"](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2410.09949/) (2024)
- [Stability Regimes for Framing-Sensitive Fine-Tuning in Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2602.15273/) (2026)
- [Predicting, Evaluating, and Explaining Top Misinformation Spreaders via Archetypal User Behavior](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2608.16323/) (2026)
- [Beyond Effectiveness: A Multi-Criteria Framework for Comparing Practical Socio-Technical Interventions](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2608.20649/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

News feeds in virtually all social media platforms include engagement metrics, such as the number of times each post is liked and shared. We find that exposure to these social engagement signals increases the vulnerability of users to misinformation. This finding has important implications for the design of social media interactions in the misinformation age. To reduce the spread of misinformation, we call for technology platforms to rethink the display of social engagement metrics. Further research is needed to investigate whether and how engagement metrics can be presented without amplifying the spread of low-credibility information.