The Impact of Fake News on Perceptions of Candidates Among Millennial Voters in the 2016 Election

The internet is continuing to become a critical factor in political election cycles. Information about candidates is published on news websites and social media platforms. Given the vast nature of the internet and the great number of users who have access to it, some of that information is bound to be false. This article examines how prevalent fake news, or intentionally false published content designed to deceive readers, was in the 2016 presidential election. Specifically, the role of this content in relation to millennial voters is evaluated with references to past research. Ultimately, the internet usage habits of millennials combined with the widespread publication of fake news provide a strong basis for the argument that the cohort was significantly exposed to, and impacted by, false content