15- to 17-year-olds consume news in a diverse and flexible way
Young people prefer visual formats such as images and videos to inform them about the news situation. In general, they want more positive and bundled news that summarizes the most important things. This is shown by a qualitative study conducted by ZHAW with 66 young people from Switzerland.
A research team led by the Zurich University of Applied Sciences, together with colleagues from the Universities of Lugano and Lausanne, delved into the lifeworld of young people. The goal was to determine how "digital natives" can be reached with news.
To do this, they conducted interviews with the participants, who were between 12 and 20 years old, documented their news consumption and had them write media diaries. This revealed how young people's news behavior changes with age.
Influenced by parents' news consumption
According to the study, the news consumption of 12- to 14-year-olds is strongly influenced by their parents. They hardly use their smartphones to access online news offerings - partly because parents and school restrict their time with cell phones. Instead, they sometimes browse the newspaper at home or watch the daily news with their parents. However, the reports are usually incomprehensible to them or do not interest them because they see no points of contact with their own lives.
Open for any news
From the age of 14, the picture changes: The influence of parents decreases, that of friends, acquaintances and social media platforms increases. Young people want to be informed in order to have their say and be socially integrated. However, they do not yet have a news routine and are open to any news.
This age group therefore has the highest chance of being reached with new news formats, write the study authors. According to the study, this age group would like to see apps with images, short videos and text overlays that summarize the most important information.
As soon as young people reach their 18th birthday, they access news very specifically via apps and social media channels. They know what they want to know, where they can get the information, and which formats they like best. Although videos and pictures are still popular, they are gradually gaining a liking for written reports. (SDA)
