Most Youths Rely on Social Media for News Updates: Survey

Dhaka, Jan 29 (V7N) — While most young people believe that the country's print and electronic media present accurate portrayals of current events in Bangladesh, a recent survey reveals that they predominantly rely on social media platforms—especially Facebook—for news updates.

The survey, conducted by the Bangladesh Youth Leadership Center (BYLC) and released on Monday, indicates a significant dependency on social media for news among youths. About 74% of in-person respondents and 84% of online participants admitted to sourcing information about current events in Bangladesh through social media.

A total of 3,238 young individuals from across the country took part in the survey. The results show that while participants trust both mainstream and social media for accuracy, their reliance on social platforms is growing.

According to the findings, 71% of in-person respondents perceive social media as a reliable source of information, compared to 56.9% of online participants. Meanwhile, 71.1% of in-person respondents believe that print and electronic media provide accurate information, with only 50.5% of online participants agreeing.

In Bangladesh, Facebook is the most widely used social media platform among youths. Over 70% of respondents use Facebook, followed by YouTube, Instagram, WhatsApp, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

Survey Details

Md Abul Khayer Shajib, the manager of research, monitoring, and evaluation at BYLC, presented the survey results at the organization's office.

Of the 3,238 youths surveyed, 1,575 participated in-person and 1,663 online between October and November. While the government defines youths as individuals aged 18-35, this survey included people aged 16-35 to better represent Bangladesh's demographic and socio-economic landscape.

The survey explored topics such as education, healthcare, livelihoods, climate change, justice, governance, peace and order, access to information, and future aspirations.

Although participants from all divisions of Bangladesh were included, responses from the Dhaka division were the most prominent in both online and in-person categories.

The research team at BYLC, which included Abul Khayer Shajib, Arafat Islam, Fazilatun Nesa, and Jessia Margaret Gomez, conducted the study.

BYLC undertakes its Youth Matters Survey (YMS) every five years, particularly ahead of national elections, to understand the perspectives of young people regarding the country's condition and future outlook. The previous survey was conducted in December 2023.

Following the change in Bangladesh's political landscape on August 5 last year, the recent survey aimed to assess the opinions of the youth on the evolving socio-political scenario.