Why More and More People Are Avoiding the News and How Sources of Information Are Changing

A global study by the Reuters Institute has shown a sharp decline in interest in news worldwide. Today, thirty nine percent of people consciously avoid the news agenda. In two thousand seventeen, this figure was only twenty nine percent. The authors explain this by the fact that recent years have been filled with heavy topics such as the pandemic, wars, and political crises. Many people try to switch off and protect their mental well being in this way.

The share of those who closely follow the news has fallen from sixty three percent to forty six percent. The decline is especially noticeable in the United Kingdom, where interest has almost halved over the past ten years.

At the same time, the ways people consume information are changing. Young people have almost completely moved to the internet and social media. In the United Kingdom, seventy three percent of people get their news online, only fifty percent watch television, and just fourteen percent read printed publications. Facebook and YouTube remain important sources of information, but TikTok is showing the fastest growth. Among people aged eighteen to twenty four, nearly one in four already gets news there.

The popularity of short videos is easy to explain. This format is easier to consume and creates a feeling of fast and accessible content. According to researchers, this method is becoming the main way to stay informed about events, especially among the younger generation.