<![CDATA[The rapid growth of social media has intensified the spread of fake news, following serious challenges to information credibility, particularly among social media users. This study examines the influence of social ties diversity on fake news awareness and information verification behavior among Indonesian university students who actively use social media X. Adopting a quantitative approach, this research employs Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to analyze data collected from 250 students aged 18-28 years old. The research model is adapted from Majerczak and Strzelecki (2022) and grounded in Uses and Gratifications Theory and Media Dependency Theory. The results indicate that social ties diversity has a positive effect on fake news awareness, which significantly enhances information verification behavior. In addition, social ties diversity also directly influences information verification. These findings suggest that the exposure to diverse online social networks increases students’ critical awareness of fake news. This also encourages more cautious information evaluation practices among students’. This study contributes to the literature by extending empirical evidence on fake news verification behavior to the Indonesian context and highlights the importance of fostering diverse online social interactions and critical awareness as part of digital literacy initiatives in higher education.]]>
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