Key Report Findings
These findings are based on a nationally representative survey of 1,000 UK children aged 11-17 and focus groups with children aged 13-17.
Children and young people regularly consume news on social media from a range of sources
- 68% of children and young people who consume news get that news from social media.
- Most trusted accounts on social media include news outlets (55%) and friends or family (51%).
- Many young people report getting news-related content recommended to them via social media algorithms rather than following the content themselves.
- Children in higher income households consume news more frequently than children in lower income households.. They are also more likely to access news from a wider range of sources.
Distressing news stories, mis- and disinformation and AI-generated content impact young people’s wellbeing
- 61% children who consume news on social media say they’ve seen a story that worried or upset them in the past month. Algorithms can exacerbate this.
- 47% of children and young people say that seeing news content on social media gives them new problems to think about. Many also feel overwhelmed by this content.
- 27% of children say they’ve believed a fake or AI-generated news story. This can leave children feeling embarrassed, confused or less trusting in the news.
- Vulnerable children report greater feelings of worry and are more likely to fall for fake or AI-generated content.
Young people see navigating this news environment as central to staying informed and have developed their own support strategies
- 74% of young people agree that social media helps them feel informed about current events and 67% agree that social media is usually where they learn about breaking news.
- 52% of children and young people turn to a trusted adult when they see distressing news content on social media.
- Children and young people also turn to social media platforms to verify whether news content is true, including looking at an established news outlet’s social media account, checking if the account that posted the content is verified and checking comments on the post.
- Some children do nothing on platforms when they encounter upsetting or distressing content, or fake or AI-generated news.
Families, schools, social media platforms and established news outlets all have a role to play in supporting children’s media literacy
- 84% of children and young people who consume news have spoken to their parents about how to tell whether online news is true.
- Children and young people in higher income households are more likely than those in lower income households to report their school or teacher has spoken to them about how to tell whether online news is true.
- Nearly half (48%) of children think social media companies should take proactive steps to remove fake news, while 40% say AI-generated content should be clearly flagged or labelled.
- 45% of young people believe trusted news outlets should create content specifically for them.
