Youth turns back to traditional news

In an age where the ‘news is where the phone is’ the youth have begun to realize news on social media is not verified

HEMA SINGULURI  | Hyderabad

Rekha Patel, 23 works at Raidurg. She leaves home at 8 a.m. and by the time she returns home it is 8 p.m. “It has been a long time that I read a physical paper but I source for news on Apps and social media. However, of late in several discussions, I was proved wrong as I realized that what I said was untrue which was based on social media. I now carry the newspaper with me and read whenever I find time during breaks.”  This in a nutshell is the story of youth who have been addicted to social media but have started realising that all posts are not verified.  

Digital apps and social media, though keeping citizens updated and providing easy access to news cannot be trusted all the time. News apps and Instagram slides are the new normal but comes with risks like misinformation, bias, unverified, exaggerated, superficial and over-the-top coverage. 

Inshorts, Dailyhunt, Google News and platforms like Instagram, Twitter, X have become the go-to source for news and updates. S Jhanvi, an IT employee pointed out the attraction that social media pulls, stressing that “instant” does not mean it is “verified”. 

Nirupama K, 23-year-old student at Durga Devi Saraf Institute of Management Studies (DSIMS) College in Mumbai, says she rarely follows newspapers and Television which are too time consuming in today's busy world. “I rely mostly on Google news and social media to sample multiple sources as it feels more balanced. It is often hard to judge how reliable reports are these days because everything seems biased and unverified”, she added. She believes that the apps are flexible and that adapting to those is necessary. Her response reflects a major significance of adaptation to the digital world.  

Meanwhile, others turn to social media for instant updates. Disha Rungta, 21-year-old mass communication student at Dehradun emphasized on the spread of fake news saying “Most youth are addicted to social media, believing the latest update whether on politics or conflicts like Gaza war. But with everyone posting everything, the news is sparking instant fury and frustration among citizens not being unreliable”. 

Saba Shaik, a reporter at an English daily in Hyderabad says that the technology has permeated our lives and people develop new habits, it is natural.” She however added, “All online platforms are not reliable. Newspapers are relevant and trustworthy.”

The access is easy to this generation as- the news is where the phone is. Online platforms provide short and crispier information carried effortlessly in everyone’s pocket and hence most preferred, but how many are actually checking the transparency, source tags and fact check is still questionable.