Young Britons trust social media as a news source despite misinformation fears

New research from Ipsos, in partnership with JOE media, suggests that social media is now the dominant source of information about current events for younger Britons aged 16-34. In addition, the findings reveal that young men report a higher level of trust in digital platforms, although they do acknowledge significant concerns around misinformation.

The new polling is part of Ipsos and JOE media’s Modern Masculinities campaign, which provides an evidence-based picture of modern masculinity and dispel myths surrounding young British men.

Key findings:

• Social media is the dominant source of news for younger Britons: 56% of young men and 60% of young women aged 16-34 say that they get the majority of their information about current events from social media. This is followed by YouTube (16% young men and 9% young women) and television (14% young men and 15% young women). According to Ipsos iris* data, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram are the social media platforms with the highest reach among those aged 15-34.
• While older Britons rely on traditional media sources: Conversely, Britons aged 55-75 say that they most frequently turn to television (60%) and radio (13%) for information about current events. Ipsos iris data also shows that Britons spend an average of five hours seven minutes per month (equivalent to fourteen minutes per day) consuming online news content, with older Britons spending more time reading online news content than their younger counterparts.
• Young men more likely to trust digital platforms than young women: a significant discrepancy exists between young men and young women regarding trust in the reliability of media sources. While 72% of young men say that they trust YouTube, only 47% of young women feel the same. Similar trends are evident on social media platforms, (71% trust from young men against 53% from young women), and podcasts (63% trust from young men vs 44% trust from young women).
• Significant concerns over misinformation: 79% of those aged 16-34 are concerned about misinformation in the content they consume (81% of young men and 77% of young women). This is compared with 72% of the British public overall, and 67% of those aged 55-75.
• Social media dependency: Almost half (45%) of young men say that they are addicted to social media. This is compared to 41% of young women and a quarter (25%) of Britons overall.
• Content preferences: When asked what type of content they personally consume, young men are most likely to say that they watch sports-related content (58%) and hobby-related materials (48%). Young women, conversely, are more drawn to cooking videos (55%) and shopping content (43%).

Richie Jones, Chief Client Officer at Ipsos in the UK, says:

Our latest research with JOE media highlights a significant shift in how young Britons, especially young men, are consuming information. Social media and digital platforms have become the primary ways that young people consume news, which reflects broader societal changes in the way we communicate and seek out information. While it's positive that young men are engaging with content that aligns with their interests, the ongoing issues of trust and misinformation highlight critical challenges for our society. These findings urge us to consider how we can foster communities that are better informed and resilient against the spread of false information.

Ava Santina, Political Correspondent at JOE media says:

In collaboration with Ipsos, these insights into the media consumption habits of young Britons underscore the pivotal role social media plays in shaping public opinion and cultural narratives today. As young men's preferences gravitate towards digital platforms, it becomes imperative for us, as digital media creators, to ensure the integrity and accuracy of the content we deliver. These findings are a reminder of the responsibility we hold in the media landscape to uphold trust and combat misinformation. It's also an opportunity for us to engage meaningfully with a generation that experiences news and current events through a rapidly evolving digital lens – something that has always been central to our mission at JOE.

Technical note: 

• Ipsos Omnibus interviewed a representative sample of 2,474 online British adults aged 16-75. Polling was conducted from the 29th August – 3rd September 2025.
• Data are weighted to match the profile of the population. All polls are subject to a wide range of potential sources of error.
• * A nationally representative 15+ passively collected panel, Ipsos iris measures over 7,000 website and 1,500 apps daily to create a synthetic data set of 2m devices, providing detailed demographic, geographic, and attitudinal audiences. For more information visit https://iris.ipsos.com