Teens rate social media as most authentic media form: UCLA study

Adolescents view social media as the most authentic form of media, surpassing traditional entertainment platforms in perceived genuineness, according to a new study from the University of California, Los Angeles.

According to the study, social media emerged as the frontrunner for authenticity, with 31% of participants rating it higher than video games, streaming services, and live-streaming platforms, LA Post reports.

UCLA's Center for Scholars and Storytellers (CSS) research surveyed more than 1,500 children and young adults between ages 10 and 24 as part of its annual "Teens and Screens" report.

"Social media is often just directly to regular people," said CSS research manager Atlas Burrus. "It feels more inherent, more connected."

The survey results indicate teenagers value social media's user-generated content over professionally produced entertainment. UCLA researchers found this preference stems from young people's desire to see content created by their peers rather than adult interpretations of teenage life.

CSS researchers designed the study to amplify youth perspectives by expanding the scope of their questions compared to previous years. The center presents its findings in an accessible format to reach media industry decision-makers.

"You cannot find a lot of directors who are willing to sit down for a couple hours and read heavy, intense academic articles," Burrus said. "But a nicely designed thing with maybe a tip sheet at the end and the big findings right up top - we feel like it can make a lot more change."

The study identified stress relief as a primary motivator for social media use among adolescents. Researchers also found young people generally prefer fantasy content over reality-based media, which Burrus attributes to recent global events.

According to the report, YouTube ranked as the most authentic social media platform (38.8%), followed by TikTok, surpassing its previous ranking. This may be attributed to teenagers' desire for deeper connections, as this need is not easily fulfilled through the short-form video format that TikTok is known for.

The CSS research team hopes their findings will encourage media companies to consider young people's perspectives more carefully in content development.

"I hope it really encourages folks to listen to more adolescents, to seek their expertise, and to uplift their own voices," Burrus said. "Above all else, I really just want young folks to know that their voices are incredibly powerful and to encourage them to use it."

The Center for Scholars and Storytellers conducts youth-focused media research within UCLA's psychology department. This is the only program that gives the teen voices to give real feedback.