Browsing through the Internet, there are many types of news being reported every single day. However, youngsters are more prone on sticking to only one or two topics that they thoroughly enjoy, like celebrity gossip and sports updates. The prevalence of this phenomenon may be mainly contributed by the algorithm, and parents and government agencies should encourage and assist teenagers to absorb news resources of other topics.
Reasons for this phenomenon are diverse, but most people put the blame on the algorithm in social media platforms. After careful observations of users’ footprints on the Web, the algorithm deliver users contents similar to the one they enjoy, some of which is news. This so-called personal feature may affect teenagers, who are developing their judgement and critical-thinking skills, negatively. There may be changes that young individuals refuse to read other news resources because of the influence by friends and family. As a result, teenagers will become more subjective and opinion-based, leading to a more polarized society. The US election period in 2024, when young Democratic supports claimed the young Republican supporters as their “arch nemesis”, and vice versa, is a case in point.
This phenomenon can be alleviated with the help of parents, the authorities, and teenagers themselves. Parents can encourage teenagers to a diverse exposure, and creates open talks or debates with them at spare time. Government agencies can change the regulations for the algorithm, so that news from all topics can be delivered to teenagers’ phones. Young individuals can also find different sources news actively, which not only broadens their world view but also let them read and thereby accept different opinions for the same incident.
To reiterate, the negative influence from the algorithm of social media platforms and close people, such as friends and family, may blind the teenagers from seeing the complete scope of an event. However, they can engage in discussions of recent events, or conduct researches consisting of different viewpoints actively to become more objective.