Gen Z’s Struggle With Media Literacy: A Growing Challenge in the Digital Age:

A Stanford University study in 2021 raised alarming concerns over Gen Z’s video information appraisal skills. For example, in one experiment, high school learners watched a video titled “2016 Democrat Primary Voter Fraud Caught on Tape” which was actually Russian ballot fraud. Only three out of 3,446 students recognized the video’s origin.

Gen Z does seem to be active online, but for a reason highlighted by a report from Politico, they seem to be particularly susceptible to fallacies.

Hebrew University’s Joel Breakstone pointed out the “digital native” fallacy – which is defined as growing up with tech automatically implying robust critical thinking skills regarding content in the online world.

Gen Z TikTokers use the app as a primary source of news, with 45% of 18-29 year olds stating they get news on the platform. Faux editorial control combined with the rampant pace of AI-assisted news production means the number of unsubstantiated claims is skyrocketing. Young people are armed with inadequate tools to verify the information.

Mistrust Fuels Conspiracy Theories About Helen Keller And Hurricane Control

From hatching radical fantasies about Helen Keller to proposing government surreptitious control over hurricanes, Gen Z has taken misinformation to the next level. Not even a quarter of this generation, precisely 16%, claims to put a trustworthy faith in news outlets.

With an ever-increasing demand for newspapers and magazines, the younger generation seems to be shifting towards social media influencers, who are known for their unfiltered content that lacks the prerequisites of fact-checking.

Yelp and Amazon Style 'Rating' Bypass Critical Thinking

When it comes to assessing the credibility of a given body of text, Gen Z usually opts for the “comment section”. This method of aggregate trust follows in the footsteps of social media platforms like Yelp and Amazon.

Although review-based platforms offer a multifaceted approach on even the smallest of subjects, this method gives rise to misleading information and encourages people disregard other perspectives.

Schools Need To Revise Outdated Digital Literacy Skills Curriculum

The attempt to train pupils through in-depth single source analyses may prove to be their undoing. The Millennials and Gen Z necesitar para not being too vulnerable online face enormous challenges such as de facto verification across too many sources.

Misinformation Affects All Political Spectrums

There is no evidence suggesting that particular political groups are more susceptible to deception than others. From comments and videos, both supporters and critics of public figures have been impacted by AI-generated content and fake headlines. A common case was the Trump clip of him supposedly wanting to change the name of Washington D.C. to something else which had many headlines but was later debunked. The remedy was however left in the comment section.

Will Gen Z Adapt or Will Misinformation Worsen?

Researchers like Rakoen Maertens are still hopeful, suggesting that Gen Z will know how to adapt and become more media-savvy over time. The concern is that older people will adopt media and information habits more like Gen Z, thus providing more pathways for misinformation.

Addressing a Systemic Issue

Misinformation and media consumption habits highlight that there is a lack of proper guidance regarding digital literacy that is put in place, how information is managed, and how different platforms interact and provide guidance. Solving these issues would need considerable reform in educational frameworks, a shift in public trust towards institutions, as well as accountability from technology companies. That is all generations face this issue. That combined with the changing media landscape endangers an informed society.