The digital world is constantly overflowing with information. This leaves Generation Z, or Gen Z, exposed to misinformation & clickbait at an alarming level. Unlike previous generations, Gen Z is forging a new path to consuming information. Their method relies on ‘communities’ rather than ‘institutions’.
Gen Z & information sensibility
Information dissemination in previous generations was different. It was mostly gossip that happened within communities. To filter that, people relied on ‘information literacy’, which is the ability to critically evaluate sources and then make an informed decision.Â
Meanwhile, information in today’s digital world is multi-faceted. It’s across spectrums, ranging from Instagram reels to WhatsApp statuses to Twitter threads. This has led to a gradual decline in the influence of traditional media like newspapers. News is right in front of you before you can open a newspaper. This has also led to ‘online gossip’ in groups with like-minded people. Researchers at Jigsaw, a Google subsidiary, found that Gen Z relies on ‘information sensibility’, which means prioritising social circles for information and less reliance on traditional fact-checking.
Studies have shown that Gen Z distrusts clickbait and news sources with ads or paywalls.
Instead, they find a social media influencer who speaks their language and curates information with a specific angle they wish to seek. Social media comments are another trusted source, especially when it comes to catching the general ‘vibe’ regarding a particular incident. This helps people get the gravity of a situation and accordingly comment. It is also a great source for identifying like-minded people.
These generational shifts have caused a change in news consumption habits. A recent Pew Research Centre study shows how Gen Z primarily get their news from social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok. This potentially restricts the scope of reading as the reliance has now shifted to ‘summaries’ rather than in-depth fact-checking.
Gen Z and the ‘misinformation pandemic’
News was restricted when the sources were limited. Now, every channel is a news channel, and every platform is a way for you to connect with the world. This leads to an overflow of news beyond what’s even needed. Concerns are ripe on how this Gen Z approach can make them susceptible to misinformation.
However, research by Microsoft suggests intentional misinformation primarily targets specific-already radicalised groups and not the usual Gen Z users.Â
A Gen Z social media user is typically exposed to extreme opinions, and the one he clicks on more times becomes his social media feed till the time he becomes interested in another trend or an ideology. In many ways, social media has become a marketplace for ideologies to pick customers for their ‘cult’.
One thing in favour of Gen Z is that they rely on personal experiences and close friends over statistics, especially in areas like Health and Wellness.
The focus, overall, has to be on creating a safe social media space for our future generations and not treating them like commodities for profits. This is why Big Tech firms like Meta and Google are facing lawsuits worldwide. Their sophisticated algorithms are being trained by the personal data of billions of people across the world, which makes them equally responsible for ensuring the mental safety of the younger generations, the ones reading this article on their phones right now.