The way people get information is changing rapidly. For the first time, social media has surpassed television, radio, and traditional news portals, becoming the primary source of information globally.
This is the conclusion of the Digital News Report 2025 from the University of Oxford, which included almost 100,000 participants from 48 countries. According to the data, 54% of respondents said that during the last week they were informed through social networks, while 51% turned to traditional media such as television, radio or news websites.
Although it has been known for years that young people prefer digital platforms, the report emphasizes that this is the first time that the change has been observed across almost all age groups and in most of the countries studied.
Generation Z is informed mainly by social networks
Globally, 30% of participants stated that social networks and video platforms are their main source of news, a significant increase compared to 22% in 2020.
Among young people aged 18 to 24, this figure reaches 52%, indicating that Generation Z is increasingly moving away from traditional forms of information.
Meanwhile, television and dedicated news apps are losing ground. Since 2020, the use of television as a source of information has fallen by 13 percentage points, while news apps have fallen by 12 points.
Why is this change happening?
According to researchers, many users consider social media a faster and more direct way to get information. Others say they simply don’t consume television as much as they used to.
Experts describe this as a gradual transformation, but consider it a pivotal moment for the global media industry.
Where do traditional media still remain strong?
Despite the global trend, some European countries continue to trust traditional media more. Among them are the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland and Croatia.
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Even news about conflicts is followed on social networks.
The report shows that young people are increasingly using social networks to follow important international developments.
Almost 4 in 10 people under 35 said that social platforms are the best way to stay informed about the Iran-Israel conflict, while older age groups continue to prefer television and news portals.
Artificial intelligence is coming into play
Another trend that is gaining ground is the use of artificial intelligence for news. About 10% of participants said they had used AI tools to follow the news in the past week.
Although this figure still remains low, the report’s authors believe that the increasing integration of artificial intelligence into search engines and digital platforms will significantly change the way news is consumed in the coming years.