TikTok Just Beat YouTube and Instagram as the Top News Source for Young People
Forty-three percent of young adults said they regularly get news from the video app in 2025.
Forty-three percent of young adults said they regularly get news from the video app in 2025.
By Jonathan Small | edited by Jessica Thomas | Dec 30, 2025
Where are young people getting their news? The same app that brought us sea shanties and dance challenges.
According to new Pew Research Center data, forty-three percent of 18- to 29-year-olds said they regularly get news from TikTok in 2025, compared to 41 percent for both YouTube and Facebook and 40 percent for Instagram. The video app has been on a tear for the past few years. Only 32 percent named it as a regular news source in 2023.
Social media beat out every other format for news consumption, with 76 percent of young adults saying they often or sometimes get news from social, compared to 60 percent for news websites and 28 percent for email newsletters. TikTok’s rise comes as the platform faces ongoing scrutiny over data privacy and its Chinese parent company ByteDance.
Where are young people getting their news? The same app that brought us sea shanties and dance challenges.
According to new Pew Research Center data, forty-three percent of 18- to 29-year-olds said they regularly get news from TikTok in 2025, compared to 41 percent for both YouTube and Facebook and 40 percent for Instagram. The video app has been on a tear for the past few years. Only 32 percent named it as a regular news source in 2023.
Social media beat out every other format for news consumption, with 76 percent of young adults saying they often or sometimes get news from social, compared to 60 percent for news websites and 28 percent for email newsletters. TikTok’s rise comes as the platform faces ongoing scrutiny over data privacy and its Chinese parent company ByteDance.