The 2025 News Baromete that was published by the Arteveld College of Higher Education on Wednesday shows that young people in Flanders are more discerning consumers of news than is often assumed. While social media plays a significant role in how teenagers and young adults access information, the majority obtain their information from multiple sources and also demonstrate an ability to spot misinformation. However, this also comes with a mistrust of legitimate sources and around half on 12 to 26 year olds say that they steer clear of news altogether.
Youngsters able to spot fake news, but also sceptical of content from legitimate news outlets
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The News Barometer is a study of the news consumption of teenagers and young adults aged between 12 and 16 that is published every 2 years. Researcher Edward De Vooght told the press agency Belga that "Nuance needs to be given to the typical image we have of young people, namely that they believe everything they see on TikTok. Young people are finding their way back to radio and television as a news source. Not all of their news comes through social media."
Strong in spotting fake news
According to the study, 80% of young people are able to recognise fake news. By the same token they approach most social media content with scepticism. 40% of 12 to 26 year olds also doubt the validity of news shared on social media by legitimate news outlet. Distrust is highest on TikTok.
Researcher Jan Boesmans told journalists that this is “A positive development”. "Young people are becoming increasingly critical of fake news. While in the past, the majority would not have passed a test to detect fake news, a large majority now sees through these messages. More media literacy in the curricula and the great interest in the issue of fake news are therefore paying off."
Jan Boesman went on to say that "We showed them various posts from social media. These were from journalists and doctors as well as influencers and scammers. The young people then had to indicate to what extent they trusted the posts. Many suspected misuse of news logos or 'deepfakes' by artificial intelligence. This vigilance makes them very sceptical even when traditional media share news via their official channels, it is distrusted."
Trust has been eroded
This heightened caution has its downside. Some young people now question even credible sources. This includes content from news brands they say they trust. "If you show young people a 'post' from nwsnwsnws (the VRT’s news serviced aimed at young people, ed.), you notice that they sometimes have doubts, even though they trust the news brand itself."
Despite the role of social media, only one in ten young people rely on it exclusively as a source of news. The majority say that they get their news through television or streaming services 64%, radio 51%. 43% said that they news from websites and apps.
The study also highlights that news avoidance many young people deliberately avoid the news. 46% young Flemings surveyed said that they occasionally avoid the news. However, may say that they does so in order to manage the constant stream of information they are exposed to rather than shut it out entirely.