Gen Z branded as the 'most gullible generation' after new analysis of media habits

Younger generations have been dismissed as "gullible" for decades – but is there something about Gen Z that makes them the "most gullible" generation of all?

A recent Politico article made a case for the idea, pointing to a video capturing voter fraud in Russia – which many American Gen Zers believed to instead showcase voter fraud in the U.S.

"When researchers from Stanford studying young people’s media literacy — the ability to accurately evaluate information in the wilds of mass media — showed the video to 3,446 high school students, only three succeeded in identifying the Russian connection," the article read in part.

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Friends using smartphones. Gen Z has been labeled the most gullible generation in a new POLITICO article. (iStock)

While painting the picture, author Catherine Kim highlighted a notable irony – the Internet-raised, phone-dependent and tech-savvy Gen Z is somehow the least equipped to decipher fact from fiction in the online world.

Yet, at the same time, the piece highlights a concerning reality that the lion's share of America's youngest voting bloc gets their news from social media. 

In particular, an analysis by Morning Consult found that "roughly three in five Gen Z (63%) say they turn to social media at least once a week for news, a much higher share than traditional distribution methods like broadcast news (27%) or cable news (30%)."

Add the rise of artificial intelligence, an abundance of false claims, satire and other sources to further muddy the waters and Gen Z's source of news isn't so reliable after all.

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Social media is being blamed for the spread of misinformation and artificial intelligence-driven falsehoods. (Kiichiro Sato)

Kim argues that such findings have led the group down the rabbit hole of conspiracy theories, leading them to question institutions of power and shun traditional media.

"There’s a dangerous feedback loop at play…" she writes.

"It’s the kind of media consumption that differs drastically from older generations who spend far more time with mainstream media, and the consequences can be grim."

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Adding to the critique of Gen Z's vetting methods and their media consumption, Kim says the age group simply looks at the comments section to see if the information checks out, immerses themselves in narrow online communities where they might hear about health trends that have no basis in science, or they might hear a conspiracy theory questioning a current event that could sway public perception.

At the same time, she says the issue isn't isolated to one political party, specifically writing, "President Donald Trump’s fans and haters are both just as likely to fall for fake information that already conforms to their worldview."

Gen Z now wears many hats – the loneliest generation, the most tech-savvy generation, the "ghosted generation," even – a badge earned because of the string of rejections they face while looking for jobs, partners or their ideal college. 

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Ultimately, Gen Z has access to more information at their fingertips than any generation before, and navigating it wisely remains a challenge.