The health disparity in marginalized communities highlights the danger of digital COVID-19 misinformation to public health. African Americans (AA) were among the most affected minority groups by coronavirus, and AA young adults were more resistant to COVID-19 prevention and vaccinations. Guided by the third-person effect (TPE), an individual’s perceptual bias in presuming others as more susceptible to negative media influence than self, this study examined the Historically Black College and University (HBCU) students’ perceived influence of digital COVID-19 misinformation on self and others. Specifically, this study explored the role of social distance marked by perceived racial identity in predicting the presumed impact of COVID misinformation on self, the racial in-group-other HBCU students, and the racial out-group, students in the Predominantly White Institutions. Social distance may exist among younger individuals perceived as in-group using age stereotypes to identify older individuals as the out-group. The influence of generational distance between AA young adults and their older family members- parents and grandparents, was explored. HBCU students (N=374) who completed an online survey perceived misinformation as having more influence on racially distant groups and older family members than on themselves, consistent with the TPE patterns (t-tests). Regression analyses explored the predicting variables of TPE and the TPE-behavior link. Frequent exposure to COVID-19 misinformation predicted the perceived impact on self and four comparison groups, indicating that overexposed Black young adults recognized its severe implications for all. Participants’ self-efficacy in detecting false information and fact-checking predicted fewer negative media influence for self and more for the racial in-and-out groups, reinforcing the perceptual bias towards their peers on college campuses. This finding concurs with the need for self enhancement and ego enhancement explanatory mechanisms. The significant perceptual gap in media influence between self and grandparents was linked to fewer sharing behaviors suggesting the perceived discrepancy of influence refrained HBCU students from spreading misinformation to protect the oldest generation. When perceived own race to be less susceptible to COVID-19 infections, they frequently shared misinformation, suggesting the frequent sharers maybe victims themselves in believing that AAs are less at risk of COVID infections.