Is TikTok becoming the primary source of information for younger generations?
Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 4:49 am
What does it mean when social media becomes the main source of information for younger generations? How can platforms deal responsibly with fake news and what role do influencers play in shaping it? In our blog, Kolsquare discusses possible responses and the social responsibility of brands.
Young people around the world use TikTok to get information about the war in Ukraine, for example. But the Chinese video app's algorithm favours, among other things, fake videos that are often viewed millions of times, according to German news magazine Der Spiegel.
A 2021/2022 study by UK regulator Ofcom into the news consumption habits of adults showed that TikTok is the fastest-growing news source. Accordingly, the study analysed news consumption via television, radio, newspapers, social media, podcasts, other websites/apps and magazines, and concluded that, compared to one per cent in 2020, seven per cent of UK adults no vp safety email database w use TikTok as a news source.
In the US, 40% of Gen Zers already use TikTok or Instagram on a daily basis for various search queries, which again Google is not particularly happy about, according to TechCrunch . According to Business Insider , Google confirms this statistic: “We face strong competition from a range of sources, including general and specialist search engines, as well as dedicated apps.” Similarly, for those aged 12 to 15, the main source of news is Instagram, with 29 % , and YouTube and TikTok, with 28% each.
Although young people agree that social media news is less credible, they still consume it because it offers a range of opinions on current affairs. Ofcom's group director of strategy and research, Yih-Choung Teh, confirms this in the agency's press release .
Image from Ofcom
“WarTok” and the impact of TikTok’s politicization
Although the platform has long been known for dance and comedy videos, this has changed dramatically since the start of the war in Ukraine. Ukrainians, including soldiers, want to show first-hand what is happening in their country. And the war is a popular topic that generates clicks. In March 2022, several media outlets used the headline “WarTok”, including the German public broadcaster WDR and the fake news monitoring website NewsGuard .
Young people around the world use TikTok to get information about the war in Ukraine, for example. But the Chinese video app's algorithm favours, among other things, fake videos that are often viewed millions of times, according to German news magazine Der Spiegel.
A 2021/2022 study by UK regulator Ofcom into the news consumption habits of adults showed that TikTok is the fastest-growing news source. Accordingly, the study analysed news consumption via television, radio, newspapers, social media, podcasts, other websites/apps and magazines, and concluded that, compared to one per cent in 2020, seven per cent of UK adults no vp safety email database w use TikTok as a news source.
In the US, 40% of Gen Zers already use TikTok or Instagram on a daily basis for various search queries, which again Google is not particularly happy about, according to TechCrunch . According to Business Insider , Google confirms this statistic: “We face strong competition from a range of sources, including general and specialist search engines, as well as dedicated apps.” Similarly, for those aged 12 to 15, the main source of news is Instagram, with 29 % , and YouTube and TikTok, with 28% each.
Although young people agree that social media news is less credible, they still consume it because it offers a range of opinions on current affairs. Ofcom's group director of strategy and research, Yih-Choung Teh, confirms this in the agency's press release .
Image from Ofcom
“WarTok” and the impact of TikTok’s politicization
Although the platform has long been known for dance and comedy videos, this has changed dramatically since the start of the war in Ukraine. Ukrainians, including soldiers, want to show first-hand what is happening in their country. And the war is a popular topic that generates clicks. In March 2022, several media outlets used the headline “WarTok”, including the German public broadcaster WDR and the fake news monitoring website NewsGuard .