“We don’t need the media; we have social media, where we tell stories ourselves. What do we need MSNBC for?
We have Facebook and Twitter.”
- Kwame Rose, influencer
Well MSNBC, we feel for you but it’s nothing personal.
In today’s world, Kwame is not the only Gen Z who prioritizes social media for news consumption. I’m not just saying that, here is the evidence to calm the Sherlock Holmes inside you all. 64% of millennials and teens say they use social media to get news and up-to-date information and 66% say that social media is their primary source for news.
But why is our generation choosing social media as the go-to platform for consuming news?
Well, the answer is right in front of us!
When pangs of hunger hit you at night, where do you turn? Yes of course, it’s mom first, but it’s generally Zomato that comes through with an answer instead.
When your phone pings that your Netflix subscription needs to be renewed, but your wallet is too far, who comes to the rescue? Well, GooglePay of course!
The ‘zing’ for Gen Z and millennials is simple. Anything and everything that instantly gratifies needs.
So in a world where everything is on-demand and just a ‘confirm’ away, why should news be left out? After all, it’s the oldest of them all. Social media, with its graphic, engaging and easy-to-read formula fits the bill.
And why not? With hectic schedules and busy lives, the hustle culture has caught up with us all. Everything is based on convenience. No wonder we no longer carry newspapers and sift through them while sitting in metros or just waiting for the doctor’s appointment. We click away on our mobiles and consume news, a few seconds at a time.
It’s not just because news looks different and is more portable than before. Today, social media and the abundance of information on it presents readers with a choice.
Look at it this way. Traditional media for the longest time chose what you should know. Parents, teachers and competitive exams have long tried to define what is important, what is worth knowing and what is just a waste of time. What the newspaper says, goes!
But social media gave us the power and freedom to choose. To decide what is interesting, what is relevant and what is essential for us to know.
Whether it’s entertainment or finance, sports or politics; no matter what your preferred topic, with the touch of a few buttons, you can find the news that you want to know.
And we all know how much Gen Z and millennials love taking matters in their own hands.
But how long will that work? After all, we only have two hands, and too many matters to take care of.
The law of nature says what goes up must inevitably come down. So, is consuming news through social media a short-lived fad or a long-term trend?
There is only one way to find out, stay tuned!
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