Perspective
The way college students consume news today is very different from a decade ago, though it now feels normal. This shift is occurring on the popular social media platform, TikTok, and the app is not just being used for trends, dancing videos or entertainment. People use the platform to spread news and important information to a widespread audience.
Studies from a Pew Research Center survey show that about one in five adults in the U.S. regularly get their news from TikTok, which is a big jump from just 3% in 2020. What really stands out is how much the younger generation relies on it. Around 43% of adults under 30 say they get news from TikTok. That’s almost half, highlighting how fast news consumption habits are changing.
It’s not just that TikTok is a popular app right now, it’s outperforming other platforms in several areas. A report from Business Insider explains that TikTok has taken over as the top app for news among young people,surpassing platforms such as YouTube and Instagram, which previously dominated as media sources.
The Business Insider article says, “TikTok is now the most popular social app for news among 18- to 29-year-olds in the US.” That shift alone shows how much Gen Z’s habits have changed and where many are now retaining their information.
On a college campus, this makes sense. No one is sitting down to watch the news anymore. It’s more like you’re scrolling through your phone and suddenly you’re seeing a video explaining a political issue or breaking down something happening in another country. Rather than feeling like “watching the news,” it’s become more integrated into daily social media use.
The videos are quick, easy to follow and more engaging than reading a long article.
Nikkem Reynolds, a graduate student at the university said, “I feel like the things you like or watch all the way through shape what you see. News shows up here and there if I search for it, but just from scrolling, not really.”
But at the same time, that can create confusion because TikTok wasn’t made to be a news platform, it was made for entertainment. As a result, its algorithm pushes whatever gets the most attention, not necessarily what’s most accurate. Videos also get negative attention all the time. This means that the more dramatic or emotional something is, the more likely it is to go viral, even if it’s missing context or false. Most videos are super short, so important details are left out and issues are oversimplified to keep your attention. If you’re mostly getting your news from short form content, it can shape how you see things.
At the same time, it’s not all bad. TikTok has made news way more accessible, especially for people who wouldn’t normally go out of their way to read or watch traditional news since it’s infiltrated into their feed. It also broadens the perspective of voices in news coverage, not just big media companies but regular people, influencers and even people who are directly connected to events being discussed.. When anyone can publish content about current events, it becomes more difficult to tell what’s reliable. Students need to take extra steps to check the credibility of the information they’re retaining. Realistically, not everyone is doing that every time they scroll.
The rise of TikTok for news is bigger than just one app. It shows how much the way people consume information has changed, especially for college students. News isn’t really separate anymore, it’s mixed in with everything else on your feed. It’s easier than ever to stay informed, but it’s also easier than ever to get the wrong idea.
