Some 57% of Swiss teens think it's important to keep up-to-date with the news, but they do so via Facebook or Instagram
Keystone
Teenagers in Switzerland get most of their information from the internet yet think traditional media are the most trustworthy. In addition, four out of ten adolescents say they have been exposed to fake news, according to a study into media consumption.
The 2019 JAMESfocus reportExternal link by the Zurich University of Applied Sciences and Swisscom found that two-thirds of 12- to 19-year-olds in Switzerland said they were interested in global current affairs.
Some 57% believed it was important to keep up-to-date with the news, but they do so via Facebook or Instagram rather than traditional media such as television or newspapers.
The main interests for this age group are music (67%), news (66%), sport (55%) and celebrity gossip (48%). A third of respondents said they were interested in world politics and only a fifth in Swiss politics.
Wary of free information
When it came to fake news, 40% said they had come across information that later turned out to be wrong. The authors of the report, published on Thursday, stressed the importance of being able to identify such information immediately and underlined the role of parents and teachers in passing on skills and methods of separating what’s true from what’s false.
They said it’s also a question of making young people aware that checking information requires intensive work by professionals which can be guaranteed only if consumers are prepared to pay for it. People should be wary of free information, the authors wrote.
Teenagers seem to be aware of that – even if a growing proportion of them ignores it – since they placed the most trust in the traditional media, with television ahead of newspapers.
Only a third of 12- to 19-year-olds reckoned most of the information online was credible.
More
More
Third of young Swiss targeted by cyber-grooming
This content was published on
A third of young people in Switzerland have been approached online by an older stranger with undesirable sexual intentions, a survey has found.
Should raw milk sales be banned or should consumers decide?
Swiss food regulations do not allow raw milk to be sold for direct consumption. However, a loophole allows 400 raw milk vending machines to do just that.
Russian prosecutor seeks jail for French researcher tied to Swiss NGO
This content was published on
A Russian prosecutor asked a court to jail Laurent Vinatier, a French researcher working for a Swiss NGO, alleging he broke Russia’s “foreign agent” laws.
Greenwashing is on the decline but not in Switzerland
This content was published on
For the first time in six years, the number of greenwashing cases has fallen worldwide. But the challenges remain, as a new study shows.
This content was published on
The people's initiative for a future without animal experiments in Switzerland has passed the 100,000 mark in certified signatures.
This content was published on
Swiss flavour and fragrance firm Givaudan is strengthening its presence in Southeast Asia with the construction of a new plant in Indonesia.
Swiss siblings nominated for international film music award
This content was published on
With their double nomination at the World Soundtrack Awards, the Swiss-Australian Baldenweg sibling trio are making history for Switzerland.
Switzerland calls on Israel to halt attacks on Unifil in Lebanon
This content was published on
Switzerland has called on the Israeli army to immediately cease all attacks on the UN observer mission Unifil in Lebanon.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Video games addiction recognised as mental health problem
This content was published on
In Switzerland, there are around 70,000 “problematic” internet users – a stable number for the past five years that includes hardcore gamers.
This content was published on
Teens in Switzerland are more satisfied and athletic than most of their peers, and they’re not as ambitious, according to a student well-being study.
This content was published on
Media researcher Linards UdrisExternal link says that social media is needed to reach a younger audience, but it brings no financial rewards. Soft news and emotional reporting are becoming more popular. Most Swiss media companies – including swissinfo.ch – are on FacebookExternal link, TwitterExternal link and YouTubeExternal link. This has affected how the news is…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.