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Everyday Encounters with Deepfakes : Young People’s Media and Information Literacy Practices with AI-Generated Media

Lao, Yucong ; Hirvonen, Noora and Larsson, Stefan LU (2025) In Journal of Documentation 81(7). p.216-235
Abstract
Purpose
This research aims to contribute to the knowledge related to youth’s media and information literacy (MIL) practices when encountering artificial intelligence (AI)-generated media in their everyday life. It specifically examines young people’s engagement with and understanding of deepfakes, seeking to explore their practices for navigating deepfakes in a daily setting.

Design/methodology/approach
Employing a qualitative research strategy, in-depth interviews were conducted to collect empirical material from 20 young participants aged 14–15 years. The empirical data were coded both inductively and deductively, leading to the identification of young people’s doings and sayings as they encounter, respond to and... (More)
Purpose
This research aims to contribute to the knowledge related to youth’s media and information literacy (MIL) practices when encountering artificial intelligence (AI)-generated media in their everyday life. It specifically examines young people’s engagement with and understanding of deepfakes, seeking to explore their practices for navigating deepfakes in a daily setting.

Design/methodology/approach
Employing a qualitative research strategy, in-depth interviews were conducted to collect empirical material from 20 young participants aged 14–15 years. The empirical data were coded both inductively and deductively, leading to the identification of young people’s doings and sayings as they encounter, respond to and understand deepfakes.

Findings
The findings highlight the young participants’ serendipitous exposure to, and subsequent engagement with, deepfake content in their everyday lives, particularly through the situations, platforms and types of content in which these encounters occurred. While interaction with deepfake content was mostly characterized as casual, there are also more active responses to encountering deepfakes. Additionally, the results shed light on the participants’ understandings of deepfakes, particularly in terms of content creation, societal impact and underlying AI techniques. This understanding is proposed as a critical sub-element within the MIL framework in this study.

Originality/value
This study stresses the complexities of young people’s everyday MIL practices with emerging media, pointing to the inherent challenges they face in navigating an increasingly complicated information landscape.
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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
media and information literacy, Information practice, Generative AI, AI-generated media, Deepfake, young people
in
Journal of Documentation
volume
81
issue
7
pages
20 pages
publisher
Emerald Group Publishing Limited
external identifiers
  • scopus:105004686399
ISSN
0022-0418
DOI
10.1108/JD-01-2025-0007
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
2941c7ff-4aa3-44aa-b546-c3762e637735
date added to LUP
2025-04-18 18:44:50
date last changed
2025-07-12 04:01:18
@article{2941c7ff-4aa3-44aa-b546-c3762e637735,
  abstract     = {{Purpose<br/>This research aims to contribute to the knowledge related to youth’s media and information literacy (MIL) practices when encountering artificial intelligence (AI)-generated media in their everyday life. It specifically examines young people’s engagement with and understanding of deepfakes, seeking to explore their practices for navigating deepfakes in a daily setting.<br/><br/>Design/methodology/approach<br/>Employing a qualitative research strategy, in-depth interviews were conducted to collect empirical material from 20 young participants aged 14–15 years. The empirical data were coded both inductively and deductively, leading to the identification of young people’s doings and sayings as they encounter, respond to and understand deepfakes.<br/><br/>Findings<br/>The findings highlight the young participants’ serendipitous exposure to, and subsequent engagement with, deepfake content in their everyday lives, particularly through the situations, platforms and types of content in which these encounters occurred. While interaction with deepfake content was mostly characterized as casual, there are also more active responses to encountering deepfakes. Additionally, the results shed light on the participants’ understandings of deepfakes, particularly in terms of content creation, societal impact and underlying AI techniques. This understanding is proposed as a critical sub-element within the MIL framework in this study.<br/><br/>Originality/value<br/>This study stresses the complexities of young people’s everyday MIL practices with emerging media, pointing to the inherent challenges they face in navigating an increasingly complicated information landscape.<br/>}},
  author       = {{Lao, Yucong and Hirvonen, Noora and Larsson, Stefan}},
  issn         = {{0022-0418}},
  keywords     = {{media and information literacy; Information practice; Generative AI; AI-generated media; Deepfake; young people}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{05}},
  number       = {{7}},
  pages        = {{216--235}},
  publisher    = {{Emerald Group Publishing Limited}},
  series       = {{Journal of Documentation}},
  title        = {{Everyday Encounters with Deepfakes : Young People’s Media and Information Literacy Practices with AI-Generated Media}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/219498346/Lao_Hirvonen_Larsson_2025_Everyday_encounters_with_deepfakes_young_people_s_media_and_information_literacy_practices_with_AI-generated_media.pdf}},
  doi          = {{10.1108/JD-01-2025-0007}},
  volume       = {{81}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}