The Changing Landscape of News Consumption: Insights from UK Voters

In the lead-up to the recent UK election, a group of six volunteers agreed to share their phone activity to shed light on how people are staying informed about current events in today's digital age. The volunteers' findings offer a glimpse into the changing landscape of news consumption in the UK. One volunteer, Zoya, a 28-year-old British-Pakistani woman from Birmingham, shared her experience of shifting political allegiances and priorities. Formerly a loyal Labour voter with little knowledge of the situation in Palestine, Zoya's perspective changed after engaging with TikTok videos and AI-generated Instagram content. She now identifies as a Green supporter and considers the situation in Gaza to be her top concern. This experiment raises the question of whether this election marks a departure from traditional mainstream media sources in favor of social media platforms. The volunteers' insights provide valuable insights into how individuals are accessing and engaging with news in the digital age.