A national Media Insight Project survey finds that teenagers are far more likely than older Americans to get news from nontraditional sources such as social platforms and independent creators, indicating a generational shift in how information is found.
The study, a collaboration of the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, the American Press Institute and journalism schools at Northwestern and the University of Maryland, reports that 36 percent of U.S. adults say they get news from social media at least once a day; that share rises to 57 percent for 13- to 17-year-olds. Likewise, 43 percent of adults say they get information on national issues from influencers or independent creators at least ‘sometimes,’ compared with 57 percent of teens.
Survey authors say the results show social platforms and younger creators play a growing role in teens’ news diets, even as traditional outlets remain trusted. Robyn Tomlin, executive director of the American Press Institute, said traditional national and local outlets ‘continue to stand out as a trusted source,’ but younger audiences are also forming relationships with creators they view as transparent and authentic, a shift with important implications for the future of news.
Beyond social media, teens are more likely than adults to use search engines and AI chatbots to find news. About four in 10 teens get news daily via search, and roughly two in 10 report getting news from AI chatbots. The survey found little age difference in use of digital news sites or apps and in television and streaming: about four in 10 U.S. adults, and a similar share of teens, get news from TV at least once a day, with comparable usage of digital news sites. Tom Rosenstiel, a University of Maryland journalism professor on the survey team, noted that television isn’t disappearing, but the way people watch news is changing, for example through YouTube rather than traditional broadcasts.
Although teens rely more on influencers and AI than older adults, many remain cautious about those sources. Teens are more likely than adults to report having ‘a great deal of confidence’ in information from AI chatbots, but overall confidence is low: only 11 percent of teens say they have a high level of certainty in AI-provided information, compared with 4 percent of adults. About one-third of teens express high confidence in their ability to tell whether content was created by a human or by AI, versus about two in 10 adults.
Confidence in influencers is also limited: just 12 percent of teens say they have ‘a great deal of confidence’ in information from independent creators or influencers, higher than the 6 percent of adults who say the same but still modest overall.
The survey also highlights differences in subject interest: teens show more interest in celebrity, music, movies, sports and entertainment news, while adults are more interested in political and economic coverage. Both groups report news fatigue, particularly about politics: most respondents say they often or sometimes try to avoid stories about national government and politics, and about six in 10 say they try to sidestep news related to President Donald Trump. Rosenstiel suggested people are selective about what journalism they consume, often choosing information that helps them live their lives even if it falls outside traditional definitions of ‘real news.’
