KATHMANDU: Nepali researcher Sonika Lamichhane is examining how misinformation, artificial intelligence (AI) and digital literacy shape public perception and communication in the digital age.
Lamichhane, a PhD student in Communication, Culture and Media Studies at Drexel University in Philadelphia, United States, studies how people create, share, interpret and verify information across digital platforms.
Her current research includes misinformation during Nepal’s Gen-Z protests, focusing on recurring online narratives, platforms spreading misleading content and factors that help certain information reach wider audiences. Using interviews, media content analysis and observations of online behaviour, she aims to understand how misinformation spreads and influences public understanding of political and social events.
She is also investigating how AI-powered tools, including ChatGPT, are changing the way people access and consume information. Her work explores how users assess AI-generated content, identify inaccuracies and evaluate the credibility of digital information.
Digital literacy is another major focus of her research, emphasising critical thinking, source verification and the responsible use of online information. Lamichhane’s interdisciplinary approach connects misinformation, AI and digital literacy to understand their effects on human behaviour and communication.
Her research has particular relevance for Nepal, where social media and AI tools increasingly influence public discussion. She highlights the need to help people question, verify and critically evaluate information rather than accept online content at face value, contributing to a more informed and digitally literate society.
