Nearly one in two people use social media to search for information
Social media is one of the main sources of information for current social and political news, at 49.0% (see Trust in the media). The IU study on media literacy also shows:
43.2% of people in Germany use social media such as Instagram, TikTok, X or YouTube either always or frequently to search for information. Among Generation Z, the figure is as high as 56.9%.
Question: How often do you use social media (e.g. Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube) to search for information?
Focus
Social media shaping opinions
Social media’s importance as a source of information also means that social media and influencers shape opinions in our society. But how exactly do people interact with information and sources on social media?
Can social media be trusted? Not really, say many people.
The results above demonstrate that the younger the respondent, the more frequently social media is used to search for information. However, overall trust is low across all generations: among Generation Z, 5.4% trust social media completely, compared to 2.4% of baby boomers.
Question: To what extent do you generally trust the following sources? Social media (e.g. Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube)?
Answer “I cannot say” not shown
Social media as a source: most people check information and channels
The widespread mistrust of social media is also evident in the other findings of the IU study: the majority of respondents check a social media account or the information itself before choosing to believe it.
Question: To what extent do you agree with the following statements?
Only the answers “Completely agree” and “Tend to agree” on a scale of 1 to 4; answer “I cannot say” not shown
Can social media influencers be trusted?
The vast majority also answer this question with “no”. 62.4% of people in Germany consider content from traditional media to be more trustworthy than that from content creators such as influencers. The interesting thing is that younger people tend to agree with this statement more than older generations.
Question: To what extent do you agree with the following statement? “On social media, I find content from traditional media more trustworthy than that from content creators”?
Answer “I cannot say” not shown
The study results reveal an encouraging trend: although younger respondents use social media more frequently than older generations to search for information, they are also very aware of the dynamics and limitations of these platforms. Content created by content creators is less trusted, especially by Generation Z. This suggests a relatively high level of media literacy among younger people.”
Prof. Dr Nele Hansen
Professor of Media Management at IU International University of Applied Sciences
