Most teens get news from social media and influencers: poll

Teenagers increasingly turn to social media and influencers for news consumption, signaling a significant generational shift in information-seeking behaviors, according to a comprehensive national study released this week.

The Media Insight Project found that while 36% of U.S. adults get news from social media at least once daily, that figure jumps dramatically to 57% among teenagers aged 13 to 17. The study represents a collaboration between The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, the American Press Institute, and journalism schools at Northwestern University and the University of Maryland.

This growing reliance on non-traditional news sources extends beyond social media platforms. The research revealed that 57% of teenagers report getting information on national issues from influencers or independent content creators at least “sometimes,” compared to 43% of adults who do the same.

“Traditional national and local outlets continue to stand out as a trusted source, but people, especially younger audiences, are also building relationships with younger creators they believe are transparent and authentic,” said Robyn Tomlin, executive director of the American Press Institute. “That reality has enormous implications for the future of news.”

The digital divide between generations extends to search engines and artificial intelligence. Approximately 40% of teens get news daily from search engines, while about 20% regularly consult AI chatbots for information—both significantly higher rates than adult usage.

However, not all news consumption patterns show generational differences. The survey found little variation between age groups regarding digital news sites, apps, television, and streaming services. About 40% of both U.S. adults and teenagers consume news from television at least once daily, with similar percentages accessing digital news sites.

“The idea that television is going away is a misapprehension,” noted Tom Rosenstiel, a University of Maryland journalism professor who worked on the survey. “Watching news through video is not going away. It’s changing. The way you see it on YouTube is different than on the ‘CBS Evening News.'”

Despite their increased reliance on alternative news sources, teenagers approach both AI and influencer content with healthy skepticism. Only 11% of teens express “a great deal of confidence” in information from AI chatbots—higher than adults’ 4%, but still remarkably low. Similarly, just 12% of teenagers have high confidence in information from independent creators or influencers, compared to 6% of adults.

Teenagers do display more confidence in their ability to discern AI-generated content from human-created material. About one-third of teens expressed high confidence in making this distinction, compared to roughly 20% of adults.

Content preferences also show clear generational differences. Teenagers naturally gravitate toward news about celebrities, music, movies, sports, and entertainment, while adults show greater interest in politics, business issues, and economic news.

Both age groups, however, share a common frustration: news fatigue. Most U.S. adults and teenagers report that they “often” or “sometimes” actively avoid news stories about national government and politics. About 60% of respondents say they try to sidestep news related to former President Donald Trump.

“People are tired of the feeling that things are spinning out of control, so they’re very judicious in what they’re spending their time on,” Rosenstiel explained.

The study also highlights how teenagers approach information differently, being much less likely than adults to avoid celebrity news or content delivered via social media. Rosenstiel suggested that for many people, especially younger generations, valuable journalism might be content that helps them navigate daily life, even if it falls outside conventional news definitions.

“Part of the problem for traditional journalism,” Rosenstiel observed, “is the traditional journalism definition of what is real news.”

The poll surveyed 2,101 Americans, including 1,092 adults and 1,009 teenagers, between February 2-16, 2023. It has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4.1 percentage points for adults and 4.3 percentage points for teenagers.