35% of young people get their news from social media sites, including YouTube and TikTok, survey reveals
July 2022 - Media and PR
35% of young people get their news from social media sites, including YouTube and TikTok: A study into how and where children learn about news stories has uncovered that over a third of young people get the information from social media sites; with the most common being TikTok (30%) and YouTube (23%). Facebook (19%) and Instagram (13%) were also cited as main sources of information for children.
The survey by the BBC polled over 2,000 young people between the ages of 11 and 16, as part of BBC Bitesize’s campaign: The Other Side Of The Story – set up to help children navigate between fake and real news.
Despite TikTok being the most favourable place for young people to look for news, just 31% of those surveyed said they trust what they read on the platform. In addition, half of participants said they trusted what they read in the newspaper, slightly less than those who stated they trust the news on YouTube.
The BBC was found to be trusted by 67% of respondents, with ITV (65%) and Channel 4 (56%) being the second and third most trusted sites. The poll also found that more young people believe the news they read on websites (9%) than in newspapers (3%).
When asked about the individuals they trust the most, 36% of respondents said their parents; with more opting to believe influencers (5%) than politicians (1%). In recent years, influencers have become more involved in current affairs, using their platform and following to address major issues.
Helen Foulkes, head of BBC education, said: “The results show how confused a lot of young people are about where to get reliable information. They’re moving away from traditional news sources but they’re not sure whether what they see and hear in other places can be trusted.”
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