June 14th 2023.
TikTok is the fastest growing social media platform and it is becoming a key source of news for young people, according to a new report. The Reuters Institute Digital News Report's survey showed 44% of 18 to 24-year-olds use TikTok for any purpose and 20% for news, while the use of Facebook as a news source has declined from 42% to 28%.
It appears that social media users are more likely to be influenced by celebrities and influencers than by journalists and media companies when it comes to news topics. Although news usage for Twitter has remained relatively stable, the report found that younger generations often prefer the more personality-based and participatory options offered by social media, such as TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat.
The report also revealed that some audiences are deliberately avoiding depressing news and stories that bring down their mood or increase anxiety. In fact, 36% of surveyed people said they actively avoid news sometimes or often. Nic Newman, the lead report author, said this trend is having implications for civic and democratic engagement.
Not only this, the report also noted a decline in payment for online news and a decline in trust in the news. People are more concerned about identifying what is real and fake on the internet when it comes to news and 56% of surveyed people said they worry about this, which is up two percentage points from last year.
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