<p> Contrary to general perception among the elderly, millennials are very much interested in civic and social issues, according to a new study on the information habits of people aged 18-34.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Only the way they consume news has changed, finds the study.Millenials or Generation Y refers to the people born between early 1980s and early 2000s.<br /><br />The research looks closely at how members of the millennial generation learn about the world on different devices and platforms.<br /><br />Contrary to the popular perception, they keep up with what is commonly referred to as 'hard news', as well as stories that connect them to hobbies, culture, jobs and entertainment.<br /><br />This study was conducted jointly by the American Press Institute and the Associated Press-NORC Centre for Public Affairs Research.<br /><br />"This is the second study we have conducted that challenges some common perceptions about news in the digital age," said Tom Rosenstiel, executive director of the American Press Institute.<br /><br />"This one finds that across a range of metrics, the first digital generation is highly engaged.<br /><br />If anything, the enormous role of social media appears to have a widening impact, not a narrowing one, on the awareness of this generation," he added.<br /><br />Fully 69 percent of millennials report getting news at least once a day, 40 percent several times a day.<br /><br />Millennials say they acquire news for a variety of reasons, which include a fairly even mix of civic motivations (74 percent), problem-solving needs (63 percent), or social factors (67 percent) such as talking about it with friends.<br /><br />Contrary to the idea that social media creates a polarising 'filter bubble', exposing people to only a narrow range of opinions, 70 percent of millennials say that their social media feeds are comprised of a diverse mix of viewpoints evenly mixed between those similar to and different from their own.<br /><br />An additional 16 percent say their feeds contain mostly viewpoints different from their own.<br /><br />And nearly three-quarters of those exposed to different views (73 percent) report they investigate others' opinions at least some of the time.<br /><br />Facebook has become a nearly ubiquitous part of digital millennial life.While millennials are highly equipped, it is not true they are constantly connected.More than 90 percent of adults age 18-34 surveyed own smartphones, and half own tablets.But only half (51 percent) say they are online most or all of the day.<br />"For many millennials, news is part of their social flow, with most seeing it as an enjoyable or entertaining experience," said Trevor Tompson, director of the AP-NORC Centre.</p>
<p> Contrary to general perception among the elderly, millennials are very much interested in civic and social issues, according to a new study on the information habits of people aged 18-34.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Only the way they consume news has changed, finds the study.Millenials or Generation Y refers to the people born between early 1980s and early 2000s.<br /><br />The research looks closely at how members of the millennial generation learn about the world on different devices and platforms.<br /><br />Contrary to the popular perception, they keep up with what is commonly referred to as 'hard news', as well as stories that connect them to hobbies, culture, jobs and entertainment.<br /><br />This study was conducted jointly by the American Press Institute and the Associated Press-NORC Centre for Public Affairs Research.<br /><br />"This is the second study we have conducted that challenges some common perceptions about news in the digital age," said Tom Rosenstiel, executive director of the American Press Institute.<br /><br />"This one finds that across a range of metrics, the first digital generation is highly engaged.<br /><br />If anything, the enormous role of social media appears to have a widening impact, not a narrowing one, on the awareness of this generation," he added.<br /><br />Fully 69 percent of millennials report getting news at least once a day, 40 percent several times a day.<br /><br />Millennials say they acquire news for a variety of reasons, which include a fairly even mix of civic motivations (74 percent), problem-solving needs (63 percent), or social factors (67 percent) such as talking about it with friends.<br /><br />Contrary to the idea that social media creates a polarising 'filter bubble', exposing people to only a narrow range of opinions, 70 percent of millennials say that their social media feeds are comprised of a diverse mix of viewpoints evenly mixed between those similar to and different from their own.<br /><br />An additional 16 percent say their feeds contain mostly viewpoints different from their own.<br /><br />And nearly three-quarters of those exposed to different views (73 percent) report they investigate others' opinions at least some of the time.<br /><br />Facebook has become a nearly ubiquitous part of digital millennial life.While millennials are highly equipped, it is not true they are constantly connected.More than 90 percent of adults age 18-34 surveyed own smartphones, and half own tablets.But only half (51 percent) say they are online most or all of the day.<br />"For many millennials, news is part of their social flow, with most seeing it as an enjoyable or entertaining experience," said Trevor Tompson, director of the AP-NORC Centre.</p>