With the rapid advancement of technology, the internet has swiftly become an integral part of our lives, fundamentally transforming existing communication practices. Consequently, research and debates focusing on this transformation have intensified over time.
As the internet gradually evolved from being an expensive technology into an accessible and widespread tool, its positive attributes — such as enabling information sharing, news distribution, entertainment, political participation, mobilization efforts, and fostering a sense of community — contributed significantly to its growing prevalence.
Digital media tools, which have become central to the field of communication, were quickly embraced and integrated into society for several reasons: their ability to encompass the features of traditional media, the ease of communication they offer, and a wide array of additional advantages (Tam, 2022).
In this context, the digitalization of communication practices has highlighted the unique relationship between Generation Z — often referred to as ‘digital natives’ — and media.
This generation, typically defined as those aged 18 to 24 today, is known for having been born into a world where technologies such as smartphones, tablets, computers, and mobile phones were already widespread. These technologies have played a key role in shaping their communication and learning habits.
The factors influencing Generation Z’s social media usage consist of both environmental dynamics (such as economic, technological, cultural, and political factors) and individual elements (such as socioeconomic status, personal values, cultural background, age, life stage, personal goals, emotions, and identity).
Generation Z has a dual relationship with social media: they are both key drivers of social media trends and also heavy users, with usage patterns frequently bordering on social media addiction. Within this generation, younger individuals tend to spend even more time on social media compared to older ones (Sürlü & Göksu, 2024).
Digital Generation Z in Turkey: Population Size and Media Practices
Representing a dynamic and transformative force impacting societies globally, Generation Z in Turkey stands at the forefront of change by redefining cultural norms and consumer behavior. Like their peers around the world, Gen Z in Turkey was born into a digital environment, and with 15% of the population belonging to this cohort, Turkey hosts the largest Generation Z population in Europe (Akşehirlioğlu & Erkınay, 2023).
According to the “Digital 2025: Turkey” report, there were 77.3 million internet users in Turkey as of January 2025, representing 88.3% of the country’s total population. When examining social media platforms, Instagram led with 58.5 million users, followed closely by YouTube with 57.5 million users. TikTok had 40.2 million users, while Facebook reached 34.8 million users. X (formerly Twitter) had a user base of 19.7 million (DataReportal, 2025).
TikTok and Its Position as a News Platform
TikTok was initially launched in 2016 by the Chinese technology company ByteDance under the name “Douyin.” Later, to appeal to global markets, the app was rebranded as “TikTok.” ByteDance further expanded its user base by acquiring the highly popular platform Musical.ly for $1 billion, integrating all its users and data into TikTok (Sürlü & Göksu, 2024).
The platform’s appeal lies in its short-form video-sharing model, innovative features, and user-friendly interface. When examining Generation Z’s motivations for using TikTok, five key factors emerge: entertainment, innovation, ease of use, social interaction, and self-presentation (Tam, 2022).
TikTok allows users to add background music, create lip-sync videos, and produce content ranging from 15-second clips to videos up to 3 minutes long. Popular particularly among younger audiences, TikTok has gained global traction as a platform where fun, diverse content frequently goes viral. Compared to Instagram, TikTok is considered a platform where content feels more authentic and casual (Yegen & Bilgin, 2023).
According to several researchers, TikTok’s rising popularity has prompted media organizations to pay closer attention to younger audiences. As traditional TV viewing declines among younger generations, television content is being reshaped and adapted for social media platforms, creating a hybrid form that merges television and social media.
In Turkey, political parties and figures have also joined the TikTok trend, each employing different strategies. In these accounts, a portion of the content falls under ‘politainment,’ meaning it blends entertainment and politics (Yegen & Bilgin, 2023). This strategy includes storytelling, humor, satire, perception management, and direct communication with the public.
As TikTok gained traction among young users, news organizations also began exploring new strategies for producing content on the platform. However, TikTok’s entertainment-oriented nature has led to a shift from conventional news production techniques toward more tailored content for the platform. As with other social media platforms, TikTok demands that news content be adapted to fit its distinct style and dynamics, resulting in a markedly different presentation style compared to traditional news outlets (Yegen & Bilgin, 2023).
In Turkey, official TikTok accounts operated by news organizations — including Cumhuriyet, Show TV News, ATV, and TRT News — primarily focus on entertainment-oriented news content. Popular topics include animal rights, environmental issues, climate stories, and moments from daily life that evoke joy. The heavy use of music in news presentations and the departure from traditional news delivery styles stand out as key characteristics. As audiences show a preference for soft news, serious topics such as war, economics, and politics receive much less attention on TikTok compared to other platforms. Instead, soft news or humorously framed stories tend to dominate (Yegen & Bilgin, 2023).
Experts working within newsrooms in Turkey have reported that TikTok imposes certain restrictions on content featuring violence or war, which further limits the range of news content shared on the platform. The combination of platform-specific censorship and TikTok’s inherent focus on entertainment significantly shapes the language, format, and distribution of news content (Kortak, 2024).
Generation Z’s Motivations for Consuming News on Social Media: The Case of YouTube and Instagram
When analyzing Generation Z’s motivations for consuming social media news, moderate levels of motivation were observed for YouTube, while Instagram showed a higher level of motivation. This is closely linked to Generation Z’s strong connection with the digital world.
The study found no significant gender differences in news consumption motivations. However, in terms of age, individuals aged 17 to 19 showed higher motivation and satisfaction with consuming news on YouTube. In contrast, age did not significantly impact Instagram-related motivations.
As income levels increased, interest and satisfaction in consuming news on Instagram surpassed that of YouTube. Furthermore, usage dynamics between these two platforms were found to influence each other. Specifically, the motivation and satisfaction derived from consuming news on Instagram contributed 13.5% to YouTube-related motivation and satisfaction (Ata, 2023).
Generation Z’s News Expectations and Platform Preferences (General Findings)
Research into Generation Z’s expectations from the news indicates a clear preference for digital platforms. The most favored platforms include YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and various podcasts. Personalized news platforms such as Bundle and Aposto also feature prominently in their preferences (Uzunoğlu & Kapan, 2024).
Key reasons for these preferences include:
- YouTube is the top choice for those seeking in-depth news coverage, thanks to its ability to provide visually and audibly detailed analyses.
- Instagram is mainly preferred for following official news sources and/or accounts considered trustworthy, offering aesthetically appealing and short-format news content.
- Personalized news apps (like Bundle and Aposto) meet the demand for curated, summarized news updates.
Most and Least Trusted Platforms
Participants identified YouTube and Reddit as the most trustworthy platforms for news consumption, citing:
- Their ability to combine audio and visual elements for a more “direct” user experience.
- Access to firsthand accounts and commentary from users across different regions, fostering transparency and user-centered content.
On the other hand:
- X (formerly Twitter) was recognized for its speed in spreading news to large audiences and its ability to bring together diverse perspectives. However, the platform’s susceptibility to manipulation and disinformation raised concerns about its reliability.
- TikTok was considered among the least trustworthy platforms for news, as it primarily focuses on entertainment rather than news content. TikTok’s algorithm was also criticized for contributing to information pollution and for amplifying sensational, misleading content.
- Instagram received mixed reviews: its credibility was enhanced by the presence of official institutions and news sources, but this was counterbalanced by concerns about the blending of news with entertainment and the often shallow nature of the news content (Uzunoğlu & Kapan, 2024).
Criteria Generation Z Values in News Consumption
When asked to assess the most important criteria for news content, 71% of participants rated source reliability as “very important.”
Further, Generation Z’s media consumption habits highlight their emphasis on speed, accessibility, diversity, and reliability. Their strong demand for up-to-date information reflects their desire to stay informed in a fast-changing world. As a result, participants ranked the expectation for timeliness as either “very important” or “moderately important.”
In parallel, Generation Z highly values keeping up with emerging trends. This finding underscores the generation’s high level of engagement with digital culture, social media dynamics, and popular culture trends (Uzunoğlu & Kapan, 2024).
Beyond timeliness and reliability, Generation Z also expects news to provide context and help them make sense of complex topics.
- Approximately 49% of participants highlighted the importance of clear explanations for complex issues.
- 36% expressed a desire for news that contributes to their personal development and education.
- 22% preferred news with an inspirational or motivational angle (Uzunoğlu & Kapan, 2024).
Takeaways
In conclusion, the findings indicate that Generation Z in Turkey does not exclusively rely on TikTok for news consumption. Instead, their media consumption habits demonstrate a clear preference for a multi-platform approach, incorporating YouTube, Instagram, X, podcasts, and personalized news applications such as Bundle and Aposto. This diverse engagement reflects their simultaneous need for rapid updates, visually appealing content, and in-depth analysis. While TikTok attracts attention with its creative and entertainment-driven format, it is generally perceived as less reliable for serious news topics, prompting Generation Z to seek more credible sources on other platforms. Ultimately, this generation’s news consumption patterns reveal a strong emphasis on accessibility, speed, and variety, coupled with a critical awareness regarding source reliability, transparency, and the need for contextual understanding in an increasingly complex media landscape.
References
Akşehirlioğlu, Y., & Erkınay, N. (2023, October). Türkiye’de Z kuşağı. Think with Google. https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/intl/tr-tr/icgoruler/tuketici-trendleri/turkiyede-z-kusagi-gunumuzun-en-guclu-tuketici-kitlesi/
Ata, F. (2023). Z kuşağı’nın sosyal medya haberlerini tüketim motivasyonları ve tatminleri: YouTube ve Instagram örneği. Gaziantep University Journal of Social Sciences, 22(4), 1137-1155.
DataReportal. (2025, January). Digital 2025: Turkey. Kepios Pte. Ltd. https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2025-turkey
Kortak, İ. Y. (2024). Yeni bir haber mecrası olarak TikTok platformunun değerlendirilmesi. Yeni Medya, (16), 212-230.
Sürlü, Y., & Göksu, O. (2024). Siyasal iletişimin dijital dönüşümü: Eğlenceli siyaset ve TikTok. NOSYON: Uluslararası Toplum ve Kültür Çalışmaları Dergisi, (14), 18-43.
Tam, M. S. (2022). Z kuşağının tiktok kullanım pratikleri ve motivasyonları. Yeni Medya, 2022(13), 148-167.
Uzunoğlu, S., & Kapan, D. (2024). Newslabturkey. NewsLab Turkey. https://www.newslabturkey.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/RH-24.pdf
Yegen, C., & Bilgin, B. C. (2023). ALTERNATİF HABERCİLİK ÇERÇEVESİNDE TİKTOK: POLİTAİNMENT VE BİR ‘EĞLENCE HABER’ARACI OLARAK TİKTOK PLATFORMUNUN POTANSİYELİ. Gümüşhane Üniversitesi İletişim Fakültesi Elektronik Dergisi, 11(1), 474-499
