Intro

  • Where do Teenagers and Young Adults get their news?

    Statistics show that most teenagers get their news through TikTok(35%), Instagram(33%), and even YouTube(37%) daily (Reger, 2023). These days, news channels are far and few. Cable is slowing moving out, and streaming services are moving in. Most young adults get their news through social media and outlets like the Daily Mail. News outlets have also utilized TikTok to pass along information, which is another way to connect with teenagers and young adults. An article by the New York Times says that they reached out to 400 students asking where they get their news, and most all mentioned they get their news from social media (Diana Ejaita, 2024). Using social media as a tool for receiving news can be tricky and complicated around 74% of students, teenagers, and young adults get their news from social media, this can mean, however, anything from podcasts, politicians on Twitter, NPR, and CNN platforms (Platt, 2023).

  • When evaluating new outlets, articles, and social media posts, a young adult may use many practices to confirm If it's a credible source. Some students and teenagers follow Political figures and news outlets like CNN and NPR on Twitter and Instagram to follow along with their posts making the news more credible (Platt, 2023) Mainly staying up to date on the source you are using is a common factor, When getting information from a news outlet like the Daily Mail, most young adults evaluate this as not the most credible source by comparing it to its other broadcasts posted. News is also heavily studied in school, using the news as part of their homework assignments, and watching news stories in school helps teach young adults how to identify credible information (Regar, 2023). Learning Digital Literacy can be important for students to watch for creidable sources and other misinformation that may spread (Collins, 2017)

  • A good way to find, Judge, and be positively influenced by the information you read is an article in Teen Mag that shares resources about how to find positive news stories and outlets geared toward young adults; it helps students learn key practices when finding news outlets(Atkins, 2025)

Relection

What does it mean to be "literate"

To be Literate means to be able to proficiently read, write, and comprehend articles, store,ies and write pieces the article by Collins dives into digital literacy, discussing privacy concerns, digital footprints, and even harsh online behavior, to be digitally literate means being able to identify unacceptable behaviors on social media or any outlet for that matter, a new factor of digital media that is taking practice is identifying AI photos, it can be tricky but with certain tricks and helpful articles you can start to easily Identify these AI photos. (Collins, 2017)

The degree to which you feel there is a problem

Big, I think there is a huge problem with digital literacy. The digital world moves extremely fast. The older generation learned a certain type of digital competency, and then, when we transitioned, the digital age changed drastically. The age to learn to use technology has passed, and I think certain practices have been forgotten, both with old and new pieces of technology. Users with a greater ability to use technology can access modes and features that others might not be able to access, for example, modes like private mode or setting a password on a phone. (UNESCO Moscow Declaration on Media and Information Literacy, 2012)

What do you think should be done?

I think digital literacy is a tricky thing to learn well, but with the right materials, it can be taught! Tools like Leapster and beginner computers help limit the public side of digital literacy and help a user learn the functionality first. iPods and Kids’ phones with limited access to Google, Safari, or social media also help a slow transition to social media and help identify what sites are credible for young adults. Restricting one’s phone service or having parental controls is also a huge help to a healthy transition to a large world of public websites and social media; having a slower transition to that world can help teach the right way to utilize it. (Media Use by Tweens and Teens, 2021)

Readings Cited APA Format:

Network, T. L. (2024, October 23). Teenagers tell us about their relationship with the news. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/23/learning/teenagers-tell-us-about-their-relationship-with-news.html

LocalNewsIni, & Spinner, J. (2023, September 6). Teens tuning in. Local News Initiative. https://localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2023/09/06/medill-teen-news-engagement-survey/#:~:text=Social%20media’s%20gravitational%20pull&text=Roughly%20a%20quarter%20of%20all,that%20news%20remain%20in%20question.

Platt, C. (n.d.). Where do students get their news? the impact and burden of Media Literacy. The Spectator. https://seattlespectator.com/2023/02/08/where-do-students-get-their-news-the-impact-and-burden-of-media-literacy/

Classroom tools. (n.d.). Learning the landscape of Digital Literacy. LEARNING THE LANDSCAPE OF DIGITAL LITERACY. https://www.learningforjustice.org/sites/default/files/2017-11/Learning-the-Landscape-of-Digital-LIteracy-Nov2017.pdf

Atkins, N. (n.d.). Finding the good: Positive news sites, newsletters, and resources for teens. The Teen Magazine. https://www.theteenmagazine.com/finding-the-good-positive-news-sites-newsletters-and-resources-for-teens

Gendina, N. (1970, January 1). Integrating the personal information culture concept and the idea of media and Information Literacy offered in the UNESCO curriculum for teachers: Experiences of Russia and Uzbekistan. SpringerLink. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-52162-6_54