This isn’t a perfect parallel—as others have pointed out, users want to see the content, and it doesn’t address the problems inherent in engagement-based business models. There’s still a lot left to sort out.
As we all learn how to digest misinformation, remembering that simply removing content won't always fix the issue. I like that the author was honest that there is a lot to sort out still. I hope that we can find an educative balance on misinformation and false news.
These perceptions of too much newsroom attention going towards topics like politics and Coronavirus also reflect younger audiences’ broader desire for diverse news agendas, voices, and perspectives. As we discuss throughout this report, young people – particularly 18–24s – have different attitudes toward how the news is practised: they are more likely than older groups to believe media organisations should take a stand on issues like climate change and to think journalists should be free to express their personal views on social media.
I think the difference between YOUNG and PAST generations of consumers is that young people grew up on platforms to where you can reach millions of views, and millions of people can consume your beliefs and reporting. I think why past generations may think news is super conservative, is because they have simply grown up being told what to believe, or being relied on newspapers and programs on the television, instead of so many different perspectives we see today. I think 18-24 is the most progressive timeline of adults that this modern world has ever seen, with great perspectives, great focus on real issues, and that is simply because all of them put the effort to organize and share ideas on platforms like twitter, facebook, youtube, reddit, you name it. You see now more than ever for younger groups of activists that they are not just trying to be heard but they are trying to TEACH! And I believe that is the gap between now and then, trying to show people political beliefs and reports, and now it is to teach and help form people on their own opinion or teach people how to analyze certain struggles we face today.
Three years later, we now turn our attention to how young people’s news habits and attitudes have changed amid rising concerns about news distrust and avoidance, increasing public attention to social issues such as climate change and social justice, and the growth of newer platforms such as TikTok and Telegram.
Honestly, when looking at a perspective like this, even though it is very early in the article, I take a step back and try to remind myself what an app like TikTok is really about. This app is not about "climate change, social justice", though it may be full of videos with tons of views and videos on such topics, the app is simply made for short attention spans, made for constant clicks, its based solely around an ALGORITHM, not serious social change, even though it is a personal anecdote, I do not believe TikTok inspires real change, or real news consumption, I think the algorithm promotes topics that keep you engaged for a solid 10-90 seconds, and you move on to the next one. I am an avid social media user, since the age 12, so from a decade of experience, the wave of attention span is completely forgot about and the idea that real news is consumed solely on incoming apps like tiktok feels very lazy. Just my thoughts, but my personal belief are real political commentators on YouTube, shows on streaming platforms, or daily news cycles on television, is what real habits that are truly being formed deeply in the conscience of this young generation.