Over the last year, the YouNDigital - Youth, News and Digital Citizenship project (PTDC/COM-OUT/0243/2021) has mapped the consumption of and (lack of) interest in news by young people (15-24 years old) of different nationalities living in Portugal.
These preliminary results were collected through a representative online survey (Jan-Oct), semi-structured interviews and diaries (May-Sept) and are detailed in the report now published and available on the project's website.
According to the report, the data allows for a broad mapping of different dimensions of news consumption: routines, media used, people they turn to, contexts of trust and avoidance of news, level of understanding of algorithms and datafication.
The preliminary results of the survey highlight various conclusions. Among the adjectives most used by participants to characterise most news stories, negative ones stand out - young people perceive news as "sad" (45.6 per cent; n=593), "scary" (35.6 per cent; n=463) and "boring" (25.0 per cent; n=325).
In the semi-structured interviews, the team identified the central role of social media networks and topics of interest in news consumption. Media outlets occupy a less important place in the lives of most young people. Television is often related to the habits of older generations such as their parents and grandparents. Also noteworthy is the concern for mental health and the urge to avoid subjects that affect the state of mind (for example, wars and cases of racism).
The young people interviewed also consider that algorithms make it easier to search for information daily, although some are concerned about their implications.
To read the full report, visit the project website here.