Gen Z turn to Instagram and TikTok for news, Ofcom report shows

They use these platforms to ‘Google’ things and spend countless hours on them every day. Even though some of these social media platforms have been breeding grounds for fake news, deep fakes, and security issues, Gen Zers are also turning to them for news.

Take TikTok, for example: The short-lived Chinese-owned video platform is banned from UK government devices and could face a ban over security concerns in the US. It has also been linked to disinformation surrounding elections in the past.

However, the app has “grown in popularity as a source of news” with around 11% of UK adults – up from just 1% in 2020.

Among 12- to 15-year-olds in particular, TikTok’s news coverage is higher than that of YouTube and Instagram, new Communications Bureau data released Tuesday showed.

The report, which categorizes Gen Z into 12- to 15-year-olds and 16- to 24-year-old adults, said online platforms — whether a news publication’s website or social media — appear to be the source of reference. Among the oldest Gen Zers, TikTok was ranked among the “most important source of news”. Facebook, X and Instagram also made it to the top.

The growing interest in the consumption of news via TikTok could be alarming, given that the platform has been in the crosshairs of regulators lately regarding the safety of its content. The sum total of social media can feel a bit like its own Wild West amid the rise of misinformation and outright falsehoods.

However, online news buffs also seem aware of the risks of social media, as they rank it lowest in terms of accuracy and impartiality. Even among digital sources, search engines like Google are considered more reliable than social media platforms.

Big paradigm shift

It’s true – the generation of digital natives, who have had technology at their disposal since day one, are shaking up old practices. TikTok is just one small part of the paradigm shift in how news is read and shared.

Last year, Britain’s Office for National Statistics said it would change its data collection methods because Millennials and Generation Z are no longer answering phone calls. They also “Google” things less when looking for answers, turning to platforms like TikTok instead.

Similar trends have been seen in the US, where many adults find news on social media sites such as Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.

People appreciate that social media offers a wide range of opinions and yet is more tailored to personal interests. It’s also a quick way to find news, especially about the light topics that Gen Zers gravitate towards.

Ofcom’s data highlights a stark contrast between how Gen Z, who are either at school, university or just entering the workforce, consume news compared to their elders. Around 85% of Gen X and Boomers (Ofcom’s ‘over 55’ category) still rely primarily on TV, although they are showing signs of adapting to online formats.

Even though traditional forms of media are no longer used as widely, they still rank higher in trust among all age groups.

“Television has dominated people’s news habits since the sixties and is still very much trusted. But we are witnessing a generational shift to online news,” Yih-Choung Teh, Ofcom’s director of strategy and research, said in a statement.

Ofcom’s 2024 survey involved more than 5,400 interviews between November 2023 and March 2024.