In a surprising trend that defies the trajectory of news consumption on other social media platforms, an increasing number of U.S. adults are turning to TikTok for their daily news fix.
This seismic shift is particularly pronounced among the younger demographic, with approximately one-third of adults under 30 reporting that they regularly access news content on TikTok.
A visually striking bar chart illustrates that this surge in TikTok news consumption has reached about 14% of all U.S. adults in 2023, marking an impressive fourfold increase from a mere 3% in 2020.
The meteoric rise of TikTok as a news source is noteworthy, given its initial reputation as a platform primarily dedicated to short-form video sharing.
The app has cemented its popularity among teens, with a staggering two-thirds of teenagers reporting having used the platform.
Young adults, too, have embraced TikTok, contributing to the platform’s newfound status as a burgeoning hub for news dissemination.
Breaking down the demographics further, adults in the 18 to 29 age bracket emerge as the primary cohort driving the surge in TikTok news consumption.
A remarkable 32% of individuals in this age group now claim to regularly get their news from TikTok.
This proportion surpasses previous years’ figures and dwarfs the engagement seen among older age groups, with only 15% of those aged 30 to 49, 7% of those aged 50 to 64, and a mere 3% of those 65 and older regularly accessing news on TikTok.
Notably, TikTok’s appeal as a news source is not confined to its younger audience. The data reveals a substantial uptick in news consumption among TikTok’s adult user base.
Currently, 43% of TikTok users acknowledge regularly obtaining news from the platform, a significant increase from the 33% reported in 2022.
This places TikTok on equal footing with Facebook in terms of news consumption among its user base.
However, TikTok users still lag behind users of X (formerly Twitter) in news engagement on the respective platforms.
This trend underscores TikTok’s evolving role from a purely entertainment-focused platform to a dynamic space where users seek diverse content, including news updates.
The shift in news consumption patterns on social media suggests that TikTok has successfully tapped into the preferences of a broad demographic, positioning itself as a versatile source for both entertainment and information.
As TikTok solidifies its standing as a news destination, social media landscapes are likely to witness further transformations, prompting other platforms to adapt to changing user behaviors.
The data indicates that TikTok’s influence extends beyond entertainment, positioning it as a formidable player in the ever-evolving landscape of digital news consumption.
The implications of this shift will undoubtedly reverberate across the media industry, as TikTok continues to shape the way users, particularly the younger generation, engage with and consume news content in the digital age.