Context

Over the last few years, established democracies have experienced a declining trust in institutions, expanded use of social media for information, and an increasingly imperceptible line between fact and fiction. In the United States, the estimated total weekday newspaper circulation (print and digital combined) in 2020 was 24.3 million, down from 59.4 million in 2000. In a survey from Pew Research Center, about half (53%) of U.S. adults said that they get their news from social media, with young Americans ages 18-29 resorting to social media most often.

This question asks about the growing trust young Americans have in news from social media sources, and whether that upward trend will continue and reach parity with trust in national media sources.

Resolution Criteria

This question will resolve positively if, according to the 2023 Pew American Trends Panel, more adult Americans under 30 trust information from social media sources than national media sources.

Further Reading

Pew Research - U.S. adults under 30 now trust information from social media almost as much as from national news outlets

Sine Institute of Policy & Politics - Young Americans and Feelings Toward Social Media

U.S. Census Bureau - Internet Crushes Traditional Media: From Print to Digital