Generation Z is most at risk of consuming and believing fake news and unverified information, which is more prevalent online than in print media
With the war on truth raging across the American political landscape and with 300 Republican 2020 election deniers running for office at various levels of government, it is refreshing to see that five of Canada’s leading universities have found it necessary to jointly create The Jarislowsky Foundation.
The purpose of the foundation, says Jarislowsky “is to strengthen and build trust in our public institutions, our organizations and ourselves.” Researchers and popular media use the term generation Z to describe those born from the mid-to-late 1990s to the early 2010s. They are regarded as the first generation of “digital natives” for whom diversity is the norm.
Gen Z also watched incredulously as, despite Canada’s 4.33 million COVID cases and 45, 941 deaths from the virus, the new premier of Alberta describe those who deny fact, science and social responsibility by refusing to vaccinate as “the most discriminated against group.” The same survey in 2019 revealed differences in preferred news sources between the age groups. Those in the 16-34 age range consumed news from a variety of sources, while the youngest of the Gen Zers are much less likely to use print media in their media diets.