By Despoina Psyllou
Copyright philenews
Young Cypriots spend an average of three hours daily on TikTok and nearly two hours on Instagram, according to a survey examining how young people access information and news.
The study, conducted by IMR/University of Nicosia for the Cyprus Youth Organisation (ONEK), found that 74% of young people choose social media from news organisations as their primary information source. Instagram leads platform adoption, with 92% of respondents maintaining accounts.
The survey polled 1,000 people aged 14 to 35 across Cyprus, evenly split between men and women, using random stratified sampling. The sample included 39% from Nicosia, 29% from Limassol, 16% from Larnaca, 10% from Paphos, and 6% from Famagusta.
Young people spend 111.1 minutes daily on TikTok, 107.7 minutes on Instagram, 47.3 minutes on Facebook, and 25.7 minutes on X, the survey found. Time spent decreases with age, with younger users spending up to three hours, whilst older respondents average around one hour.
Instagram dominates but TikTok captivates
Instagram maintains the highest adoption rate at 92%, followed by Facebook at 88% and TikTok at 53%, particularly amongst those aged 14 to 24. X attracted 22% of users, LinkedIn 14% and Snapchat 11%.
Respondents described TikTok as the most “addictive” platform. They said Instagram has evolved beyond photo sharing to incorporate stories, reels and direct messaging, making it a primary communication tool that keeps users engaged for hours.
Young people now use Instagram for news, monitoring developments through stories. When interest is limited, they scan headlines, but follow links when seeking detailed information about specific topics.
Video content and podcasts gain ground
The survey found 84% of respondents watch short videos under three minutes for in-depth information, whilst 66% watch longer videos to learn new things. Some 55% follow influencers and 77% follow organisations.
Podcast listening is rising, with 54% listening to episodes under 15 minutes and 46% preferring longer formats. Young people said they typically listen to podcasts whilst doing practical or manual tasks such as housework. Popular topics include self-improvement, social content, political and historical issues, and professional development subjects.
Social media dominates information landscape
Social media from news organisations serves as the primary information source for 74% of young people, far ahead of official news websites at 10%, search engines at 4%, television at 3% and news applications at 2%.
Overall information sources cited by young people included: 91% social media, 39% official news websites, 33% search engines, 26% television, 23% news applications, 23% friends and family, 17% podcasts, 13% radio, 13% educational institutions, 9% books and scientific articles, 8% newspapers and magazines, and 4% in-person visits or telephone contact with relevant authorities.
“Despite most stating they get news from news sites, the main practice young people apply is following news website pages on social media,” the survey noted.
Popular news sites amongst young people include Philenews, SigmaLive, Reporter, Antilive and AlphaNews.
Misinformation concerns shadow heavy usage
Despite widespread social media use, young people express concerns about information reliability. Some 40% reported difficulty assessing validity, 29% cited limited information on specific topics, 29% noted excessive information, 25% reported no difficulty, 7% faced language barriers and 4% encountered texts in foreign languages.
To ensure information quality, young people visit official or reliable news websites or cross-reference information from different sources.
The survey found 88% have encountered false news and misinformation.
Young people ranked official news websites as most reliable at 59%, followed by social media at 37%, educational institutions at 25%, podcasts at 24%, books and scientific articles at 22%, news applications at 21%, television at 20% and radio at 16%.
Three criteria determine whether young people trust a social media account: follower count, blue verification badge next to the account name, and feedback from other users, as comments provide important information about an account’s reliability.
Current affairs and life improvement drive interest
The majority of young people want information about current affairs. They are primarily interested in police, social and political matters, and generally the top stories in the daily news agenda.
“I usually get informed about current affairs. If something important happens in Cyprus or the world, I want to know it,” one participant said. Another noted: “I’m mainly interested in the top headline stories, if you hear something big happened, like a crime or an accident”.
Topics of interest include: 63% current affairs, 60% entertainment, 56% employment and professional development, 52% social issues, 49% opportunities and developments affecting youth, 44% education and study opportunities, 41% political issues, 41% technology and innovations, 40% health and wellbeing, 37% environment and climate change, and 31% entrepreneurship.
Economic anxiety and housing crisis dominate concerns
Issues that chronically occupy and worry young people include economic circumstances and lack of prospects, which explains why such a large percentage seek information about opportunities, employment, and entrepreneurship.
“The basic concern of young people undoubtedly relates to their economic situation, which causes them feelings of pessimism and frustration due to lack of prospects,” the survey stated. “As emerges from their reports, for the new generation, work can only cover living needs, without prospects to implement any other plans or dreams, as their parents managed to do when they were their age”.
Young people identified lack of prospects mainly in employment matters as a major issue, believing their work often does not match their qualifications. Salaries have remained at particularly low levels despite increased cost of living and do not allow them the prospects they dream of for their future.
Housing represents another obstacle for young people, with home ownership constituting an “unattainable dream” for many due to their economic situation and living conditions. They are also concerned about related issues such as lending terms.
“Beyond the inability to acquire their own home, renting is also burdensome, even in smaller provinces, as often the rent amount reaches the level of their salary,” the survey noted.
Young people expressed concerns about other issues regarding society’s future as a whole. Amongst other things, they worry about “accumulated anxiety and pressure on the people, which is often expressed through violence and criminality”.
Immigration and the state’s inability to integrate and educate immigrants also concerns them.
Social inequalities and exclusion due to discrimination feature amongst topics that interest them, as some participants stated they have experienced discrimination, including due to lack of meritocracy and “connections”.
Youth organisation pledges action
“It is our duty to respond to these changes by designing actions that will strengthen their access to reliable and substantial information sources,” commented Konstantina Achilleos, chair of ONEK’s board of directors.
The survey, she added, highlights how quickly the landscape of youth information is changing and the new habits through which they choose to inform themselves.