A new study by the Cyprus Youth Organization reveals that young people aged 14 to 35 rely heavily on social media for news, but remain concerned about the reliability of the information they consume.
Conducted by IMR and the University of Nicosia, the nationwide survey found that 74% of respondents use platforms like Instagram and TikTok as their primary sources of information, with users aged 14 to 24 spending an average of nearly three hours daily on the apps.
While 63% of participants said they follow current events, high interest was also recorded in entertainment (60%), career development (56%), and social issues (52%).
Despite widespread use of social media, 40% of respondents said they struggle to assess the credibility of online content, and 88% reported encountering false or misleading information. Most rely on cross-checking with other sources and spotting exaggerated headlines to identify fake news.
When asked which sources they trust most, 59% cited official news websites.