Internet Matters has published new research on how young people access news in today’s digital world. Based on a survey of 1,000 UK children aged 11–17 and focus groups with teens, the research highlights:
- Social media is children’s main source of news: 76% of children and young people consume news weekly, and 68% of those who consumer news get their news from social media – often from a mix of influencers, friends and news outlets.
- Algorithms are shaping exposure: Children and young people told us they often get news from accounts they don’t follow and 40% said they follow no news focused accounts at all.
- News on social media causes distress and overwhelm: Six in ten children have seen a news story in the past month that worried or upset them – most often about war, violence and crisis events.
- Misinformation and AI-generated content is widespread: Over a quarter (27%) of children have believed a fake or AI generated story, leading to confusion, embarrassment and reduced trust in the news.
- Inequality in media literacy education: Only 56% of children and young people say their school has taught them how to tell if online news is true – this falls to 49% among children from lower income households.
The report calls for action from government, industry, and educators to support children and young people to navigate this fast-changing information environment.
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