Interest in news has declined sharply across all age groups, but particularly among those under 35, according to a recent global survey by the Reuters Institute Digital News Report.
The connection between journalism and much of the public is crumbling, according to the survey of citizens from six continents and 46 markets.
Around 40% of respondents under the age of 35 said they often or sometimes avoid information, while 36% of those over 35 did the same.
Nearly 39% of those under 35 also said they avoid news because it “negatively impacts their mood,” while 39% said they’ve seen “too much coverage about politics or COVID-19.”
“Issues that journalists consider most important, such as political crises, international conflicts, global pandemics and climate catastrophes seem to be the very things that keep some people from the news,” the report, published on Wednesday, said.
Only 37% of young people surveyed said they “mostly” trust the news, with a higher figure (47%) for the over 55s.
“The overwhelming and depressing nature of the news, the sense of helplessness and the toxic online debates turn many people off – temporarily or permanently,” the researchers emphasized.
However, all age groups recognize that news is an essential way to learn new things, but young people remain more interested in seeing more positive and entertaining content.
If the traditional information formats such as the printed press or television are consumed less and less, social media has not made up for it.
In general, news consumption has increased from 63% in 2017 to 51% in 2022.