Instagram and TikTok are the most used social media for news by young people in the EU

A survey of EU citizens aged 16-30 shows social media is their main information source, and that the majority are also aware of the risks of online disinformation. 

Rising prices and the cost of living are a concern for 40 percent of the 16-30 year-olds who took part in the latest Eurobarometer Youth Survey published on Monday. One third of respondents said they believed the EU should focus its attention on the environment and climate change over the next five years, while 31 percent believe the economic situation and job creation should be a priority.

Almost three in ten (29 percent) want the EU to prioritise social protection, welfare and access to healthcare. More than one in five respondents highlighted education and training (27 percent), housing (23 percent) and the EU’s defence and security (21 percent) as important priorities for the EU. European defence is of particular concern for young people in Czechia (36 percent), Poland (33 percent), and Estonia (32 percent).

Social media outrun TV as main source of information

Social media is the top source of information on political and social issues for 42 percent of respondents aged 16-30, with television being the second most-popular source (39 percent). The preference for TV is particularly noticeable among those aged 25-30. This age bracket is also more likely to use online news platforms and radio than 16-18 year-olds. Younger participants (16-18) rely more on social media (45 percent) than 25-30 year-olds (39 percent), and trust friends, family or colleagues for information (29 percent compared to 23 percent).

TV also remains the leading source of information for young people in Portugal (53 percent), Italy (52 percent), Slovenia (45 percent), and France (43 percent). Online press and/or news platforms and radio are sources of information for 26 percent of the younger participants and 16 percent of their older counterparts. In the 2021 edition of the survey, the main sources of news were social media and news websites (each of which was mentioned by 41 percent of respondents).

Instagram and TikTok are the most used social media for news

Instagram is the top platform for obtaining political and social news among young people (47 percent), followed by TikTok (39 percent). X (formerly Twitter) is only used by 21 percent of young people, the survey shows.

Young people are aware of their exposure to disinformation

A significant majority (76 percent) of young people believed they had previously been exposed to disinformation and fake news.

In nine EU countries, more than half of respondents report having been exposed to disinformation ‘often’ or ‘very often’, with the highest proportions from Malta (59 percent), Hungary (58 percent), Greece (57 percent), Luxembourg (55 percent), and Belgium (54 percent). By contrast, the share of those who believe they have never been exposed to disinformation and fake news is the highest in Romania (19 percent) followed by Bulgaria (11 percent).

70 percent of the participants in the survey were confident they could recognise disinformation. Respondents from Malta and Croatia were the most confident in their ability to recognise disinformation, while those from Austria, Germany and Slovenia felt the least confident.

The Eurobarometer Youth Survey was carried out by Ipsos between 25 September and 3 October 2024 in all 27 EU member states. A total of 25,863 young people aged 16-30 were surveyed via Computer-Assisted Web Interviewing (CAWI) using online panels. The results were weighted according to the proportion of this age group within each EU country.