It is no secret that we as young people are consuming less traditional news than ever before. Scroll through any social media platform, and you will see why. TikTok, Instagram and Youtube have become the go-to sources for “staying informed” or “being woke.” But let us be honest, are we really staying informed? Or have we become victims of convenience, misinformation and an increasingly one-sided media diet?
The illusion of being informed:
Social media has made consuming bits and pieces of news stories incredibly easy. A 15 second TikTok or a viral tweet makes people think that is enough to stay informed on global events. And for many, that is where the engagement ends.
The problem is that these snippets often lack depth, context and nuance. A short clip explaining a complicated international conflict might catch your attention, but it does not replace actual research or critical thinking. Social media has conditioned us to feel like we have done our homework when, in reality, we are often scratching the surface of major issues. Adding to the problem is the growing reliance on comments under these posts to form opinions. Scrolling through a few top comments or replies might feel like engaging in a discussion, but it is often just another layer of oversimplification or worse, misinformation. Critical issues deserve more than just a glance at another person’s hot take.
Misinformation:
Another major issue is the sheer volume of misinformation online. Social media thrives on engagement, and misinformation can be more appealing and shareable than the truth. Whether it is manipulated statistics or outright lies, it is easy for false information to spread like wildfire.
What is worse is that most people do not fact check what they see. It feels like my peers often cannot distinguish between a credible source and someone shouting opinions online. This lack of skepticism is dangerous, especially when misinformation can shape public opinion and influence decisions on important issues like elections, climate change, public health and genocides.
‘Brainwashing’ in Western media: Western media influence only adds another layer to the problem. So much of what we consume is filtered through a Western lens, where narratives are often biased or incomplete. Issues in the Middle East, for example, are either underreported or framed in a way that aligns with Western interests.
This bias is not new, but social media amplifies it. The stories that go viral are often those that fit a particular narrative, whether it evokes outrage, pity or humor. Important global stories that do not fit these molds are left out entirely. For young people who rely solely on social media for news, this means they are not just missing out on information, they are being fed a distorted view of the world. This lack of exposure to diverse perspectives is one of the biggest reasons people are disengaging from the news. Real news and good journalism challenges you to think critically and consider multiple perspectives of an issue. But when your entire media intake comes from short blurbs or a Western viewpoint, you are less likely to seek out those challenges.
What we can do: The solution is not to abandon social media but to use it more responsibly when it comes to being educated on the news. Fact checking what you see, seeking out news sources that offer depth and multiple perspectives and looking for active journalists in whatever specific conflict you are looking at. Most importantly, we need to remind ourselves that staying informed is a responsibility, not a convenience, especially in today’s world. News clips and social media might be easy to digest, but they are not a substitute for the real thing. If we want to understand the world, we need to put in the effort to dig deeper. I am not in any way saying I am immune to this — I too benefit from seeing news in the media — but it is what I do after seeing it that I think is important.
Why this matters:
The decline in news consumption among young people is not just a personal problem, it is a societal one. An uninformed generation is less likely to engage in meaningful political action, hold leaders accountable or advocate for change. Democracy depends on an informed citizenry, and if people are not actively seeking out credible, diverse sources of information, we risk becoming a society driven by ignorance and apathy.
The next time you scroll past a news clip, ask yourself: “Do I know what is really going on?” If the answer is no, maybe it is time to stop scrolling and start reading.
