Where do teens get their news from? What are their thoughts on the validity of news sources? In June of 2019 (before the COVID pandemic) Common Sense Media conducted a nation-wide survey to collect some hard data. Below is an AI generated summary of the major points. The full article can be read here.
Stay tuned tomorrow for a more current, though less scientific, survey of teens from 2024!
Teens value staying informed: A large majority of teens (78%) consider it important to follow current events, demonstrating a general interest in civic engagement.
Social media and YouTube are dominant news sources: Teens primarily get their news from social media platforms and YouTube, more so than from traditional news organizations. This signifies a major shift in how young people access information.
Visual news is preferred: The majority of teens (64%) prefer visual news formats (pictures and videos) over reading or listening to news, highlighting the importance of multimedia content in engaging this demographic.
News organizations compete with influencers: Teens are as likely to get news from family, friends, teachers, and influencers/celebrities as they are from news organizations, showing the diverse sources vying for their attention. A significant portion of teens on YouTube and social media get their news from influencers rather than news organizations.
Teens can distinguish fact from fiction (mostly): While teens rely on diverse sources, they are generally aware that news from established news organizations is more reliable (70%) than information from influencers or social media personalities (38%).
Social media can be confusing: A notable portion of teens (19%) report feeling more confused about current events due to getting news from social media, indicating the potential for misinformation and conflicting narratives.
YouTube's recommendation system is powerful: For teens who get news on YouTube, the platform's recommendation algorithm is the primary way they discover news content (50%), highlighting the influence of these algorithms on news consumption.
Daily YouTube news consumers are different: Teens who consume news on YouTube daily are more likely to subscribe to specific channels, rely less on YouTube recommendations, get their news from influencers, and feel more informed (though this last point may be correlated with the higher reliance on influencers). This suggests a more active and engaged approach to news consumption on the platform.
Daily social media news consumers also feel more informed: Similar to the YouTube trend, teens who consume news on social media daily also report feeling more informed, suggesting that consistent engagement with the platform, even with its potential pitfalls, can contribute to a perception of increased understanding.