Canadian study shows younger adults consider influencer posts news
A survey of 1,520 Canadians conducted Jan. 8‑13, 2026 found that respondents aged 18‑34 rated influencer posts describing a major political event at 5‑6 out of 10 on a news‑worthiness scale, whereas those over 55 gave the same content a score of 3‑4. The same age groups rated memes or parodies around 5 for the youngest and about 3 for the oldest, while posts from traditional media received the highest scores and AI‑generated content the lowest.
Researchers also documented a decline in news content on major platforms since 2023, when Meta removed news from Facebook and Instagram under Canada’s Online News Act. Posts from news organizations on X fell by roughly half, with TikTok, YouTube and Bluesky only partially compensating. The report describes a fragmented news ecosystem, with influencers providing a mix of reporting, opinion and analysis, and notes that younger Canadians’ broader definition of news may affect the quality of information they receive.