News on television or even print media is not very common among younger people. Most people born after the mid-1990s are known to consume news online. Specifically, 84% of 18 to 24-year-olds mainly follow the news online. Social media apps such as Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat are popular here. The EPThinkTank has analyzed the news consumption of the younger generation.
The news consumption of the so-called “social natives” is characterized by
- The broad definition of news, which also includes news in music, sports, food, fashion and travel. Traditional media is often associated with repetitive news about politics and business.
- The preference for personality-driven and personalized news.
- The popularity of news in video format.
- Social natives' distrust of all information. Therefore, they seek diverse news sources and different perspectives.
This presents traditional news outlets with the challenge of reaching the younger generation. Some traditional media companies are trying to reach social natives by using younger hosts and offering a different range of topics, such as climate, social justice, and mental health.
Another challenge is fake news created by artificial intelligence, which can spread quickly via social media. A report by the World Economic Forum in Davos describes AI-generated fake news as the greatest short-term risk, as the spread of false narratives can lead to a growing social and political divide.
Source: EPRS