In today’s world, digital technologies have become an integral part of people’s everyday lives. Advances in technology have transformed the way people communicate, get information, and entertain themselves. According to Datareportal’s 2025 report, there are currently 5.56 billion people using internet services around the world, corresponding to 67.9% of the population (Kemp, 2025).
Gen Z, currently the second-youngest generation after Generation Alpha, are the first real digital natives. This generation, overall, is substantially online, frequently being known for buying, dating, and having friends in the online sphere. Gen Z’ers often go over the internet when they want to obtain information on any topic, including product reviews, recommendations, and even news. They scroll through sites, apps, and social media platforms, each one contributing uniquely to their digital ecosystem (McKinsey & Company, 2024).
Gen Zers, who grew up with social media, design their online personas more meticulously than previous generations do. Despite their avid online media consumption, they are more inclined to adopt trends of anonymity, more tailored feeds, and a smaller online presence.
As a generation deeply embedded in the digital landscape, Gen Z’s approach to news consumption reflects the broader shifts in information-seeking behaviors, shaped by the affordances and limitations of online platforms.
Preferred News Sources – Gen Z
A survey conducted in 2022 demonstrated there is a substantial change in the new consumption patterns of Gen Z in the United States. The most common news source is social media platforms, where 50% of Gen Zers get their news on a daily basis. The percentage of Gen Z who never use them for getting news is quite low, 11%. Streaming services come in second place, with 23% using them every day, indicating that they function as a significant but secondary news source.
Online-only sites come after streaming services, maintaining some relevance, with 13% engaging daily. In contrast, traditional media outlets like radio, cable news networks are losing their significance, with 6%, 6%, and 5% respectively. Similarly, newspapers are struggling to retain younger readers, as only 5% read local newspapers daily, and 61% never engage with national newspapers.
Overall, the findings confirm that Gen Z prefers digital-first, easily accessible news formats over traditional sources. They are more likely to encounter news through social media, streaming services, and online platforms, often in short, shareable, and visually engaging formats. Legacy media, such as newspapers, radio, and cable news, continue to decline in relevance, struggling to adapt to the rapidly changing preferences of this generation (Watson, 2024).
How Gen Z Engages with News
A study conducted by McKinsey reveals several aspects of Gen Z’s news consumption:
- Digital platforms and social media sites are highly preferred by Gen Z for news consumption. Over 50% of this generation views news on social media daily, and 15% of those aged 18 to 24 regularly obtain news from TikTok.
- When it comes to how they get news, approximately 66% of young news consumers receive most of their news through push notifications.
- Gen Z is moving away from traditional formats; they engage with news through memes, quick summaries, and video parodies.
- A vast majority of Gen Z members consume news content shared by their friends, signifying a shift in how news circulates within digital ecosystems and social networks.
- This generation distinguishes between “the news” (serious, traditional journalism) and “news” (celebrity gossip, trending scientific facts, viral content).
- For current events, 34% of people under the age of 24 still check reliable websites and apps, whereas 39% prefer to receive news via social media platforms.
- The significance of storytelling has been rising: Gen Z is keen on paying attention to high-quality or local stories, especially when visual storytelling is effectively employed, or the user experience is seamless.
- Despite being known for having short attention spans, Gen Z continues to pay attention to significant issues (McKinsey & Company, 2022).
Comparison by Generation
According to a Statista study that examined how frequently four generations consumed news on social media, there are significant behavioral differences between them. The findings indicate that, in comparison to previous generations, younger generations rely significantly more on social media for their daily news intake.
With a strong interest in digital technology, half of Generation Z uses social media as a daily news source, followed by Millennials, Generation X, and Boomers (24%). Only 11% of Generation Z said they don’t prefer social media for news, but this percentage increases in older generations. For instance, over half of Baby Boomers (48%) say they never use social media to get news.
Younger generations use social media more regularly and consistently than older generations, who are less likely to use it for news or not at all. At 20%, Gen Z and Millennials had the highest weekly access rates, whereas Boomers showed a much lower frequency in all engagement categories, except for those who never use social media for news (Watson, 2024).
Digital Platforms Utilized by Generation Z for News Consumption
Americans now consume a significant portion of their news from digital sources, with social media being especially significant for the younger generation. In general, slightly above half of the U.S. adults claim that they at least occasionally obtain their news from social media, which has increased little over the past several years.
Not surprisingly, TikTok has grown in popularity as a news source, unlike other social media platforms. A report highlighted that a growing number of Americans, particularly young ones, frequently receive news from TikTok compared to previous years. The same survey revealed that young people are particularly notable for using TikTok to obtain news and stay up to date on politics. 52% of TikTok users aged between 18 and 29 report that getting news is a major or minor reason they use TikTok (Mcclain, 2024).
According to a study done by Pew Research about social media and news reveal that:
- TikTok and Instagram are the most preferred social media platforms for news consumption among young adults (ages 18-29), with 45% and 39% of them using these platforms, respectively.
- Even though Snapchat is defined as a more entertainment-driven platform, it stands out with a significant percentage for news consumption.
- Furthermore, YouTube and Reddit seem as relevant platforms for getting news but function as more specific and discussion-based news engagement (St. Aubin & Liedke, 2024).
Conclusion
The findings of this report highlight a significant generational shift in news consumption habits, with Gen Z overwhelmingly favoring digital platforms over traditional media. Social media has become the dominant news source, with TikTok, Instagram, and other online platforms shaping the way young people engage with current events. Unlike previous generations, Gen Z prefers short, visually engaging, and easily shareable content, often consuming news through memes, quick summaries, and video-based storytelling.
While streaming services and online-only news sites maintain some relevance, traditional outlets such as newspapers, radio, and cable news networks continue to decline among younger audiences. Additionally, Gen Z distinguishes between serious journalism and trending news, often curating their own news feeds based on personal interests and social connections.
The generational comparison further reinforces the growing reliance of younger demographics on social media for daily news, while older generations continue to engage more with traditional sources. As digital media evolves, it is evident that news organizations must adapt their strategies to reach Gen Z effectively—leveraging mobile-first content, personalized feeds, and interactive storytelling to remain relevant in a rapidly changing media landscape.
References
Kemp, S. (2025, February 5). Digital 2025: Global Overview Report – DataReportal – Global Digital Insights. DataReportal. https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2025-global-overview-report
McKinsey & Company. (2022, July 5). Mind the gap: Curated reads for Gen Z—and their Z-curious colleagues. McKinsey & Company. https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/email/genz/2022/07/05/2022-07-05b.html
McKinsey & Company. (2024, August 28). What is gen Z?. McKinsey & Company. https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-explainers/what-is-gen-z
McClain, C. (2024, August 20). About half of TikTok users under 30 say they use it to keep up with politics, news. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/08/20/about-half-of-tiktok-users-under-30-say-they-use-it-to-keep-up-with-politics-news/
St. Aubin, C., & Liedke, J. (2024). Social media and news fact sheet. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/fact-sheet/social-media-and-news-fact-sheet/
Watson, A. (2024a, January 4). Consumption frequency of news from social media in the U.S. 2022, by generation. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1124159/us-generational-social-media-news/
Watson, A. (2024b, January 4). Gen Z news consumption sources in the U.S. 2022. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1124119/gen-z-news-consumption-us/
