Recent statistics have shown that over 50% of the world population is now aged under 30. While some countries are trying to cope with an aging population overall the average world population is young. This is important as it shows that social media and digital communication are of growing importance for the total population. Read on to learn more.
Japan and Germany are just two of a number of countries that are struggling with an aging population. 25% of the population in Japan is now aged over 65 years old and 21% in Germany. This places an economic difficulty on the countries as the working population has to support many of the older citizens through their taxes. However, it is not a problem faced worldwide. Overall the majority of the worldwide population is aged under 30.
This is important as it impacts how people will be communicated with, done business with and more. While in most countries only those over the age of 18 are allowed to vote there is still a large % of the population between 18 and 30 and a large number who will be eligible to vote in future decades.
These generations whether they are called generation Y, Z or something else operates very differently compared to those who came before. Studies have shown that 2 in 3 people get their news information from social media. At a time when fake news is becoming a violent weapon, this is something that must be understood and dealt with.
Social media is designed to filter content based on your preferences. This ensures that you see more news items that are similar to what you already like and are used to, therefore reinforcing any previous bias. This was already a clear problem in recent elections. Each side was receiving only the information it wanted to see and often highly exaggerated. Unless this issue is solved, the majority of the population will be being fed imperfect information all the time.
While the news that people consume and the way they consume it is totally up to each individual, something must be done to ensure that the mass media is at the very least true. As the youth of today grow into the majority of voters and decision-makers of tomorrow it is vital they are handed the correct information to make future decisions with.
