Kyiv, Ukraine – October 1, 2019: Studio shot of hand holding Apple iPhone 8 with TikTok logotype on a screen. Isolated on a vibrant cyan paper background.
According to a new Pew Research Center survey, more and more Americans are using the TikTok App like news source. A trend that continues to grow over the years, if we consider that the number of users who receive updates from the social has tripled since 2020 to date. About the 10% of all US adults now regularly receives news from the App. And the percentage sale al 26% if we think of the under 30s.
TikTok: App becomes a news source in the US
In recent years, TikTok App users are changing the way they use the platform. One third of adult usersi on the App, in fact, claims to receive news from the social network, up from 22% in 2020. A growth that is in stark contrast to the other platforms, on which the data show a drop in interest of users regarding news. Either way, it’s no surprise for young adults that TikTok can replace or complement other sources as a place to find news. Only last month, in fact, the New York Times wrote about the habit of Gen Z to use the social network as a search engine.
After all, the TikTok App has stopped being a platform dedicated exclusively to challenges for a while. In fact, already during the year, we have witnessed important episodes in which the social network has proved to be an inexhaustible source of news. Like when Russia invaded Ukraine, for example. And hundreds of users and creators have filmed what was happening live. Or in the course of Johnny Depp defamation case against his ex-wife Amber Heard, during which the actor’s supporters posted real-time updates of the trial, including analysis and conspiracy theories, on TikTok. In short, the use of social media as a source of news is now overt. Enough to convince the platform to forcefully fight disinformation.