Latest news with #newsconsumption
Arab News
29-06-2025
- Health
- Arab News
How news from the Middle East is shaping Gen Z's mental well-being
DUBAI: Gen Z — those born between the late 1990s and early 2010s — consumes more news than any other type of content, according to a new study unveiled by the UNICEF-led Global Coalition for Youth Mental Health — a finding that many may find surprising. What is less surprising, however, is the emotional toll that constant exposure to global headlines appears to be taking on young people. The study, based on a survey of more than 5,600 people aged 14 to 25 globally, found that 60 percent of Zoomers reported feeling overwhelmed by the news. Despite these pressures, they remain determined to contribute to shaping a better future. In a statement to Arab News, Dr. Zeinab Hijazi, UNICEF's global lead on mental health, said such anxieties are shaped by a combination of geopolitical conflict, climate and ecological crisis, and economic uncertainty. 'For many, especially young people, the weight of these overlapping crises is not abstract — it's deeply personal, showing up in their minds, their bodies, and their sense of hope for the future,' said Hijazi. The study, which was unveiled at the Social Innovation Summit in San Francisco, raises concerns that feelings of being overwhelmed and disempowered may be eroding young people's sense of agency. This is hindering their ability to help shape the future they envision for themselves and generations to come. This impact on mental health is compounded, the study states, by inadequate support and services available to young people. 'It can feel as though we are caught in a constant storm of challenges, with little control over the forces shaping our world,' said Hijazi. Given its serious repercussions, Hijazi emphasized that mental health should not be treated as a side effect of global disruption, but as a central pillar of collective efforts to empower youth in shaping a better future. While Gen Z tends to feel connected and engaged with world events, around 67 percent of the global cohort reported feeling overwhelmed after exposure to news or events in the world, more than news in their country (60 percent) or their community (40 percent). Escalating geopolitical tensions and instability in the Middle East, particularly since the onset of Israel's latest war on Gaza in 2023, have raised concerns among analysts about the long-term impact on youth and the potential for fomenting extremism in times of unrest and uncertainty. Psychologists and media analysts believe that exposure to such news through social media platforms also increases the emotional toll on young users. Dr. Shaima Al-Fardan, a UAE-based clinical psychologist, highlighted the impact of constant exposure to news and endless scrolling on youth development. 'It can isolate youth from real-life social interactions, which in turn hinders the development of essential social skills. It also consistently heightens negative emotions, reinforcing those emotional patterns over time.' According to Attest, a consumer research platform, social media platforms serve as the primary news source for Gen Z. About 43 percent said they rely on social media for daily news, with TikTok leading for 21 percent of users. While instant access to content across digital platforms can broaden young people's awareness of global events, Al-Fardan warned that it also exposes them to misinformation and propaganda. 'It is important to be taught to be critical about news they consume at this time due to their brain development, as they have still not been able to fully form the part of their brain that is responsible for rational decision-making in order to form solid opinions,' she said. However, she observed that while young people often respond with strong initial reactions, they may quickly become desensitized. 'Social media has created a culture of following trends, which makes engagement inconsistent,' she said. The short, fast-paced nature of social media content may intensify young people's negative emotional responses to world events. Elizabeth Matar, assistant professor and chair of Media and Mass Communication at the American University in the Emirates, told Arab News social media platforms have expanded information sources but not necessarily deepened users' understanding, especially on evolving issues. 'When users are following the news from a media outlet on social media, they only get a headline with an image or video clip and a caption, which does not give the full nuance from reading a full article,' said Matar. 'This is causing a problem because it just feels like headlines and just information coming in without understanding much of the context or forming an ability to piece it together.' She added that this 'flood of information,' compounded by inputs from non-traditional news sources such as citizen journalists, can lead to a general sense of uncertainty, deepened by the limited depth of understanding. 'The quality, in contrast to quantity, of engagement with the news must be monitored,' said Matar. 'Only then we can understand if deeper engagement with content would have the same negative effect.' Despite growing awareness and open conversations around mental health in the digital age, many young people continue to face stigma and limited access to support services — even as their familiarity with the topic increases. A UNICEF-led study found that 40 percent of respondents felt stigmatized when speaking openly about mental health in schools and workplaces, while only half said they knew where to access relevant support resources. Despite resource availability, the study findings showed that many young people still lacked clarity on where to turn for help and how to build effective coping skills. Al-Fardan said that access to mental health resources remains limited due to affordability and lack of insurance. She also observed a lack of understanding about what psychotherapy involves. 'There is a limited amount of culturally attuned, affordable, skilled therapists around as well,' she said. 'In addition, many people are either unaware or hesitant to share their views, particularly when it comes to processing political information during times of unrest.' Warning of the long-term impact of unguided online news consumption, Al-Fardan said: 'Without boundaries on excessive scrolling, negative thought patterns in the brain can be reinforced, influencing one's outlook on life and overall functioning. 'This can contribute to mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression, increased social isolation, and a lack of essential skills needed to integrate into society.' Education and media literacy are key to addressing these challenges, along with building healthy habits, monitoring exposure, and setting boundaries around social media use. UNICEF's Hijazi stressed that ensuring mental health support for young people should be a responsibility shared by governments, schools, employers and the private sector. 'Understanding perception is the first step toward meaningful action,' she said. 'If we can listen more deeply — not just to the facts, but to the feelings — we can begin to design and scale solutions that are grounded in empathy and centered on human well-being.'
ABC News
20-06-2025
- Business
- ABC News
More and more aussies turning to social media for news
More Australians than ever are getting their news from social media with the big platforms expanding their online reach over that of Aussie newsrooms. We're also becoming more and more worried about misinformation but, depending on our political persuasions, we disagree about where it's coming from. The University of Canberra's News and Media Research Centre's digital media report for 2025 lays our news consuming souls bare. It's been a week for strange PR apologies, or non apologies. Three Australian companies illustrate how not to do it. And it's Christmas for audio statisticians! The radio stars aligned this week with three sets of data showing us how Australians are listening. Guest: Associate Professor of Communication at the University of Canberra Dr Caroline Fisher
The Guardian
17-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
More Australians get their news via social media than traditional sources for first time, report finds
More Australians now access their news via social media than traditional news outlets and young Australians are increasingly drawn to video news on TikTok and Instagram, according to the 2025 Digital News Report. The University of Canberra's News and Media Research Centre found television (37%) remains the most popular source of news (up 1% from 2024) but more consumers now go to Facebook, X, YouTube and other platforms than to a legacy news outlet. The number of people reporting they use online news as their main source of news has dropped dramatically – from 28% in 2024 to 23% in 2025 – while social media as a main source of news has risen one percentage point from 25% to 26%. More than one in 20 respondents (6%) said they had asked artificial intelligence chatbots for news in the week prior, the report said. The Australian study is part of an international survey by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, which canvassed almost 100,000 news consumers worldwide, including a statistical sample of 2,006 people in Australia. Australia is part of an international trend away from traditional news organisations towards podcasters, YouTubers and TikTokers. The recent Australian election saw politicians turning to independent commentators and journalists on Instagram, YouTube and TikTok to spread their message. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email The University of Canberra survey shows social media is a popular place for poeple aged 18 to 24 to watch news videos, with more than one-third watching them on TikTok (37%) and Instagram (34%). A video posted on Anthony Albanese's TikTok account at the weekend, where the prime minister speaks about paid practical for 'nurses, teachers, midwives and social workers', had garnered 1.7m views as of Tuesday afternoon. However, news consumers in Australia who are highly interested in news and politics are more likely to rely on online news as their main source, the report found. Channel Seven is the most watched television news brand (34%), followed by ABC (31%). While there was a drop in viewership of the top three TV news brands, Sky News Australia's reach increased by four percentage points (17%) over the past 12 months, the survey found, as did The Australian newspaper (13%). Only 7% of respondents say they rely mainly on radio and 5% on print. Podcasts and AI chatbots are relatively minor: 2% report podcasts as their main news source and 1% are using AI chatbots as their main news source. Prof Sora Park, the lead author at UC's News and Media Research Centre, said trust in news has risen slightly this year and is highest among people who have undertaken news literacy education. 'In fact, these consumers have higher interest in news and are more likely to pay for it,' she said. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion 'This suggests that increasing media literacy across the population could not only help boost trust in news but also be part of the economic solution in the years to come.' ABC News (60%) is the most trusted news outlet, followed by SBS News (59%), local newspapers (58%), BBC News (57%) and Channel Seven News (55%). Australia's news media are not as polarised as those in the UK and US. 'Audience levels of trust remain steady,' the report found. 'The main public broadcasters ABC and SBS continue to attract the most trust, though popular commercial television and national newspapers are only slightly behind.' Consumers in Australia are more likely to pay for news, with 22% being above the average of 18% in a group of 20 countries where publishers push subscriptions. The figure is highest in Norway (42%), followed by Sweden (31%). The US is behind Australia with 20%. Globally, overall trust in the news (43%) has remained stable for the third year in a row, but was four points lower overall than it was at the height of the pandemic. Researchers are also tracking news avoidance, with 69% of people saying they avoid news because it has a negative impact on their mood, or is untrustworthy or biased. Interest in news has been gradually falling since 2016, particularly among women. This 14th edition of Digital News Report is based on data from six continents and 48 markets.
Washington Post
30-05-2025
- General
- Washington Post
Americans keep getting their news from sources they don't trust
This week, I wrote a column that looked at the Democratic Party's current (but not eternal) travails. Any such column must necessarily grapple with the fact that America's media ecosystem has splintered, with Republicans in particular existing in a news-consumption universe that Democrats — and even traditional media outlets — have had trouble permeating.
