How Adolescents Understand and Practice Anti-Disinformation in Responding to Hoaxes on Social Media within Karang Taruna Communities in Indonesia

Abstract

This study aims to analyze adolescents’ understanding of disinformation on social media and to examine the effectiveness of community-based anti-disinformation education in enhancing digital literacy and information resilience among youth. Using a qualitative approach, data were collected through in-depth interviews, participatory observation, and document analysis, and analyzed using thematic analysis to identify patterns in adolescents' perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors toward misinformation. The findings indicate that adolescents generally possess limited digital literacy, particularly in verifying information sources and distinguishing factual content from opinion; however, community-based educational programs were found to be effective in fostering critical awareness, evaluative skills, and active engagement in combating disinformation. These results emphasize the importance of strengthening sustainable digital literacy strategies through collaboration between educational institutions, local communities, and families to build a responsible and resilient information ecosystem in the digital era.