Mediacentar Research: Youth Changing Information Habits, Era of Digitalization

SARAJevo, (Patria) - Mediacentar Sarajevo has published the publication "Attitudes, Habits, and Needs of Youth for Media Content in BiH", authored by Anida Sokol and Senad Alibegović, which provides an overview of media habits and needs of youth for media content, their attitudes and knowledge about media standards and media freedoms, and an overview of media content for youth in BiH. The goal was to examine the main sources of information for youth in BiH, who their favorite journalists and influencers are, and which topics are missing in the media, in order to, among other things, provide recommendations for media on how to create specialized educational and informative content for youth.

"The information and communication needs of youth in BiH have significantly changed in the last few years, primarily in the context of the increasing digitalization of their communications but also the way they consume information, which is that they expect it to be fast, visual, and free. Media certainly must follow these trends, but they must not neglect their responsibility to raise the level of quality, not just the form, of information and content they offer to youth," says Professor Lejla Turčilo from the Faculty of Political Sciences in Sarajevo and one of the reviewers of the research.

Some of the main research results showed that online media are the primary source of information for 65% of respondents, while social networks are the main source of information for slightly more than 28% of respondents, and to a lesser extent, family and friends (around 2%), television (1.25%), and print and radio (0.62%).

When it comes to social networks, the research results showed that respondents spend the most time on Instagram (56%), followed by Facebook (22%), and YouTube (around 11%), while TikTok with 5% and Twitter with 2% are less popular, and only three respondents stated that they do not use social networks.

"Young people, thanks to the rapid development of technology and social networks, are changing their media habits and turning to the digital world, which, along with insufficient education and media literacy, and a lack of quality and objective media reporting and interesting and accessible content, can have significant consequences," says Senad Alibegović, one of the authors of the research.

Traditional media in BiH offer little specialized content for youth, although media representatives say they are trying to attract a younger audience, follow the activities and work of youth and youth organizations. More than half of the respondents (66%) in the survey are not satisfied with the content of online media and the content of radio and television programs. In addition, the research showed that young people have very negative attitudes towards the media in BiH and believe that they spread political propaganda, ethno-national tensions, lies, and clickbait content, and provide sensationalist and unnecessary information. They believe that the media lacks positive stories, specialized programs for youth, discussions with young people, stories about culture, science, and ecology, and concrete information about education and jobs.

"Monitoring and analyzing the media habits of citizens, especially young people, has a multifaceted role. It can help in identifying not only trends and key events that shape their perception of society but also in recognizing the values that are promoted and consumed in times of information saturation. Monitoring these phenomena directly helps in ensuring relevant data which, in addition to their academic value, also have practical application in public policies, and especially in combating negative trends of radicalization among certain vulnerable groups of young people," says Jasmin Hasić, professor at SSST in Sarajevo and one of the reviewers of the research.

The research was conducted from May to July 2021, and included questionnaires, surveys, interviews, and focus groups in which young people from BiH participated, as well as representatives of media and youth organizations.