The Internet as a Source of Information: A View Through the Prism of Trust

In the article, author discusses the idea of how trust in information in Internet sources changes. The research is based on the ideas of sociologists, comparative analysis, and an interdisciplinary approach. The theoretical research is based on Russian and foreign authors’ conceptual works and research that analyze Internet communication and trust in the Internet. People always have a balance of trust in the information space of the Internet. Trust/distrust in the Internet by wider groups is not an individual choice, it reflects the results of collective experience, which can be essential for the safe existence of society. The author presents the results of an empirical study of trust in information in the mass media, including the Internet, for the period from 2012 till 2020. These 8 years show a change in trust in Internet information posted on news and analytical sites, and on social networks. Internet news sites and online social networks have a fairly high rating of requests for information among other media. In 2018, Internet sources of information had less credibility than central television. This was particularly true for respondents aged 45 and over. This reflects a downward trend in the balance of trust in these age groups. In 2019, there was a decrease in the consumption of TV news by Russians, while the importance of the Internet and social networks as a source of news increased. The growth of the influence of Internet resources is due to an increase in the number of Internet users. Approximately 62% of Russians use the Internet “daily, almost daily”, while in 2001 the number of Internet users was only 2 to 3% of the population. The growth of trust in social networks is observed in 2020. People under 35 show the most trust in online social networks. When there is conflicting information in the media, respondents trust the Internet source. In 2020, trust in Internet resources increased significantly, which is partly due to serious changes in the socio-economic, socio-political, and socio-cultural situation, the need to quickly receive news in connection with the epidemiological threat on a global scale. The popularity of Internet news sites and Internet social networks is also associated with the fact that conventional Internet communications are beginning to develop more and more, which forms trust in the Internet.

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