Contra Costa teens wrestle with news on TikTok and Instagram
Interviews with Contra Costa students show how often news reaches teens while they are scrolling, not while they are looking for it. An AP NORC study found 57% of teens ages 13 to 17 get news from social media every day.
Students at Monte Vista High School in Danville and California High School in San Ramon said TikTok and Instagram make news easy to encounter but hard to trust. The same national study found only 12% of teens closely follow news about politics, social issues, the economy, the environment or crime.
Student editor Mansi Swaminathan said algorithms can steer users toward posts that fit what they already think. For news about wars and major conflicts, students described a feed where claims spread quickly and context can be missing.