From doomscrolling to digesting politics, how do young EU citizens use social media?

More than six in 10 young EU citizens say they use social media platforms to follow daily content on social and political current affairs, according to new figures from Eurobarometer.

The study follows a declaration signed earlier this month by each EU country, except Estonia and Belgium, calling for stronger protections for children online and backing a minimum age for children to access social media.

EU ministers said they will explore whether further measures are needed to complement existing EU rules, since they state minors are increasingly at risk of being exposed to illegal, harmful, and extremist content, and "require stronger and more targeted protection."

Instagram, TikTok, and X are the most used social networks among users aged between 15 and 24, according to Eurobarometer.

Younger respondents are more likely than those aged 55 and over to read or view content on their feed, like or react to posts, and share content through direct messages or private chats.

However, they are less likely than all other age groups to comment on posts — a rate of 18% compared to 22%-24%.

Can young people spot fake news while scrolling?

More than half of these young users actively seek out information on social media, which is increasingly becoming a hotbed for misinformation.

Overall, men in the EU are more likely than women to indicate frequent exposure to disinformation and fake news over the past seven days.

Some 46% of respondents say they were exposed to disinformation and fake news over the past seven days.

Nevertheless, most young Europeans feel well-equipped to spot and protect themselves from false narratives online.

Around 71% of young citizens say they feel confident in recognising disinformation when they encounter it — the highest percentage in all age groups.

The most common verification strategies used by young people are making sure it's from a trusted source, checking comments to see what other people are saying about it, and verifying if pictures or videos look real or fake.

Younger age groups are more likely than older age groups to follow the accounts of international organisations, EU-level politicians, and EU-level political parties, according to the Eurobarometer study.