Скачать или смотреть Algorithms and Advice: Undergraduate Students’ Digital Pathways to Financial Literacy

Presenter:
Georgette Nicolosi, Missouri University of Science and Technology

Description:
Social media platforms increasingly influence how undergraduates find personal finance information. Whether they're looking for budgeting hacks on TikTok, browsing YouTube for investing advice, or viewing Instagram reels about credit cards, students may come across financial guidance long before they turn to traditional resources. While this content can be engaging and relatable, it also raises concerns about accuracy, trust, and the role of informal learning in financial education.

This session presents findings from a mixed-methods study examining how students encounter, assess, and utilize financial information found online. Firstly, a survey mapped students’ platform preferences, prevalent financial topics of interest, and overall perceptions of credibility. To enhance these findings, 24 semi-structured interviews offered further insights into how students discuss trust and risk while navigating financial advice in algorithm-driven feeds. Together, these methods emphasize the role that digital platforms play, not just as sources of information, but as environments where students learn through examples, personal narratives, and peer experiences.

For business librarians, the study brings forward the importance of considering students’ lived digital experiences when developing instruction and outreach. Rather than perceiving social media as purely problematic, librarians can establish themselves in helping students to critically assess online content and apply it to their financial decision-making. By embedding financial literacy within the context of students’ everyday digital lives, libraries can create more inclusive and adaptive approaches to financial education. This study was supported by the 2024 BRASS Research Grant Award.