Understanding news habits of Chinese early adolescents: Insights from a participatory study

Abstract

This participatory study explores how early adolescents in China engage with news within a media environment shaped by algorithmic recommendation, state influence, and shifting social norms. Eleven first-year middle school students in Shanghai served as junior researchers, collaboratively interpreting survey responses from 338 peers in Shanghai and Beijing. The findings reveal multiple tensions in adolescents’ news consumption. Entertainment news receives significantly more attention than major public affairs, yet junior researchers expressed concern over this imbalance. Platforms like Douyin offer convenient access and diverse viewpoints, but their content often features emotionally charged expression and attention-seeking tendencies, prompting both interest and skepticism among adolescents. Gender differences also emerge in topic preferences and media use habits; however, some adolescents displayed self-censorship when discussing the reasons behind these differences. News conversations with peers foster emotional support and critical reflection, while discussions with parents tend to be didactic and norm-driven, revealing clear intergenerational gaps. These findings underscore the importance of promoting media literacy education that is culturally responsive, emotionally attuned, and aligned with adolescents’ cognitive and social developmental needs.