Short-video hosting service TikTok has been found to be the fastest growing source of news for adults in the UK, according to a new survey.
UK regulator Ofcom conducted a survey which found that 7% of adults in the UK use the app as a news source, a number that has grown from 1% in 2020.
The report also found that TikTok, Instagram and YouTube are the top sources of news for teenagers, whilst those from 16-24 find social media and the internet to be the main source of news. For the 25-34 and the 35-44 groups, internet news beat TV newspapers and radio, if only by a small margin.
Similar findings have been revealed in the US, where it was estimated that 40% of Gen Z individuals use either TikTok or Instagram on a daily basis to research places such as bars and restaurants.
However, even though TikTok and social media are the most rapidly growing methods of consuming news, users still don’t trust what they read from these platforms. Social media is the least well trusted source of news, with only a rough third of people believing what they read. However, according to the report, 75% of BBC local radio listeners trust what they hear.
Online sources are an easy way for people to publish information, both true and false. With the world adopting such a strong online presence, and social media acting as an arena for debate and opinion wars, it comes as no surprise that it is used to spread misinformation favoring the views of the writer.
