With Generation Z migrating to platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, experts warn of the urgency of media literacy education capable of training young people to think critically in the face of disinformation.
Facebook has turned 21, but it has been steadily losing ground among people in that age group. Generation Z—those born roughly between 1995 and 2010—has been migrating en masse to social media platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, which prioritize visual, dynamic content and short-form videos.
Recent data from ExpressVPN, a company that conducts research on internet usage trends and digital behavior, indicate that active Facebook use among young people aged 18 to 24 has dropped by more than 40% over the past five years, while TikTok and Instagram have grown by more than 50% within the same age group.
In this context, media literacy becomes even more important to prepare young people to navigate the vast digital ecosystem with critical thinking and safety—an environment marked by an avalanche of information, fake news, and manipulation. This was the central message of a talk by Brittani Kollar, deputy director of MediaWise, a program of the Poynter Institute in the United States, on the second day of the 3rd International Media Literacy Meeting, held in Brasília (DF) by the Instituto Palavra Aberta.
“Generation Z is not on Facebook, but on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram,” Brittani emphasized, highlighting the importance of understanding online user behavior so that media literacy strategies can be effective. According to her, “each audience requires a different approach, and that starts with finding young people where they actually are.”
Source: Porvir – Journalism Agency
