Some 18% of Facebook users who share fake stories were both self-identified Republicans and over the age of 65, a Princeton University study concluded.
So why are Republican baby boomers more likely to share fake news on Facebook?
Conservative Republicans made up the largest single partisan and ideological group among boomers, according to the Pew Research Center.
What’s more, baby boomers are more likely to be conservative and ideological, according to data crunched by Pew.
“In both 2015 and 2016, about one in 10 baby boomers identified as conservative Republicans — the highest percentages dating back to 2000,” researchers Shiva Maniam and Samantha Smith wrote for Pew.
“In both years, conservative Republicans made up the largest single partisan and ideological group among boomers.”.
To be fair, older Republicans share more news in general, and fake news gets caught up in the mix. »