Social media sites have turned into the top most news sources for the youth of the United Kingdom, according to a report released by the World Economic Forum.
The three most popular social media platforms among 12-to-15-year-olds are Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, according to the News Consumption in the UK: 2022 report.
About a third of the youth in UK choose to get their news from Instagram, thus making it the most popular news source for the UK’s 12-15 age group.
TikTok and YouTube ranked next with 28 percent each and young people following them for news. Even though social media sites have been followed heavily for news they are still the least trusted sources of news.
Among those aged 12-15, only 30 percent believe that the stories available on social media platforms are not accurate. However, when it comes to getting information from their own friends, the trustworthy score is 37 percent.
Ofcom research reveals that different age groups consume their news from different sources. While older generations are likely to prefer print, radio and TV, younger people are much more likely to use the internet and social media for news.
Even among adults, the consumption of print and online newspapers has seen a decline from 47 percent in 2020 to 38 percent in 2022.
Studies have shown that the COVID-19 lockdown had a major impact on media consumption habits.
In the UK, more than 80 percent of consumers reported that they consumed more media content from the beginning of the COIVID-19 pandemic. Broadcast TV, online videos on YouTube and TikTok were the most sought after sources for content across different generations and genders.