By NISSHANTANY A/P THINAGARAN & DR AHMAD SAUFFIYAN BIN ABU HASAN
TANJUNG MALIM - Social media plays an important role in informing Gen Z about the latest happenings around the world. Nowadays, it serves as the main source of news for them because TikTok, Instagram, X, and Facebook allow users to receive information quickly and easily in an interactive form, unlike traditional media.
While older generations prefer newspapers, radio, and television to inform themselves about the latest happenings in the world, young people of Gen Z are attracted by the convenient ways in which they can get the most recent news through social media. Social media allows news to be represented not only in written form but also in videos, graphics, and other forms that make information more comprehensible and interesting. This has led to Gen Z preferring social media as a source of news to any other type of media.
As per Shamira Leisha A/P Sivakumar, who is a university student, social media has made it possible for her to stay abreast of the latest happenings more easily than traditional media. "I mostly rely on my TikTok and Instagram for news as the news comes in an easy to comprehend manner. It is much faster compared to reading long articles and one can stay aware of whatever is happening around the world," she added.
She pointed out that social media gives her an idea of what is happening in the world and after that, she seeks more information about such stories from news organizations. Likewise, Yong Wei Hong, a college student, also mentioned the role of social media in his life. "Every time I open my eyes in the morning, the first thing I do is go on my social media platforms where news pops up naturally without having to look for it," he mentioned.
Another aspect that has been responsible for shifts in news consumption is the emergence of citizen journalism. By means of using smartphones and social media, regular citizens can cover breaking stories as they develop, often being quicker to offer coverage than the traditional journalist on the scene. Gen Z’s are aware of the potential dangers of consuming news from social media. Many individuals make sure to crosscheck the information they find with various other sources, as well as pay attention to the news coming from trusted news stations.
Despite all the issues connected with receiving news through social media channels, this practice is not going away. On the contrary, news stations have changed the way they operate, adapting their content to the format required by social media platforms. Increased social media presence calls for improved digital literacy in young audiences. It means that people of this generation should understand how algorithms function, identify misinformation, and assess the authenticity of their sources.
With the emergence of innovative technologies, one can predict that social media will stay a primary platform for obtaining information about current events among Generation Z individuals. Although social media offers convenient and instant news access, the key is to learn how to use such resources rationally and thoughtfully in order not to be misled. To conclude, social media is a new dimension in consuming news that provides better accessibility and opportunities but requires additional media literacy skills from users.