Blurred lines: When it comes to news habits, age may be more important than nationality

A new report finds that when it comes to news consumption, age isn’t just a number. Older people look to the news for different things than their younger counterparts.

The study — based on survey data from more than 45,000 people in 23 European nations — investigated what motivated people to consume news. Though there are notable differences in media ecosystems across the different countries, the survey found no “country effect” when looking at news consumption. Instead, age emerged as the more influential factor over how and why people sought news.

From the paper, published in the European Journal of Communication last month, by University of Navarra researchers Mónica Recalde, Alfonso Vara-Miguel, Jorge del Río Pérez, and Cristina Sánchez-Blanco:

The younger cohort, meanwhile, showed weaker direct connections to news brands and prefer video. They are more likely to seek news as a means for personal and intellectual growth, for entertainment, and for social purposes.

Younger people may “perceive consuming news as a means of personal and intellectual growth, viewing it as an opportunity to expand their knowledge, broaden their perspectives, and stay relevant in an ever-changing world,” the study notes. “As they are still in the process of shaping their identities and beliefs, they may be more inclined to seek diverse sources of information to inform their worldviews.”

The 23 European countries studied include the U.K. and France, Norway and Sweden, Slovakia and Hungary. On why there was no “country effect,” the researchers put forth some explanations:

Homogeneity: National cultures and boundaries are becoming less distinct, leading to “homogeneity among certain audience groups” that “transcends geographic or cultural contexts.”

Digital environment: This trend is especially obvious among younger generations who have come of age in a “highly interconnected and digitalized media environment,” the study notes. That digital media landscape “emphasizes immediacy, interactivity, and global access” and shapes news consumption habits similarly across borders. Younger news consumers have adapted to a media environment characterized by algorithms, personalization, and certain platforms. From the paper:

As global technology platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google News have become dominant channels for news dissemination, the way news is accessed, distributed, and interacted with has become increasingly standardized across countries. These platforms operate under similar algorithmic principles worldwide, prioritizing content based on individual behavioral patterns—such as age and interests—rather than cultural or national characteristics.

Information-rich markets: The European countries studied are what the researchers describe as information-rich markets. All have widespread internet access and few barriers to accessing news — both of which may be factors in diminishing the influence of country-specific media structures.

The study also acknowledges some limitations, such as relying on self-reported data from news consumers and clustering news consumers into just two age groups. (As someone who narrowly falls into the “non-young” category, I naturally agree on this last point.) You can read the full study here.

Photo of globe by Kyle Glenn