Between Faith and Fact-Checking – How Generations Learn to Trust Media

Studies have shown that younger generations tend to be more skeptical of media than older ones. I remember at a journalism and media conference I attended, I learned that Gen Z and Millennials are far more likely to fact-check or cross-reference something they see on social media.

It’s not that we don’t trust information; it’s that we trust patterns of credibility. A blue checkmark, multiple sources, or an official link mean more to us than a single video or headline.

At the same time, this constant skepticism can be exhausting. With AI-generated videos and hyper-realistic images circulating daily, we’re living in a time where seeing is no longer believing. Technology has made it easier than ever to manipulate reality and harder than ever to agree on what’s real.

But maybe that’s what defines the generational difference: adaptability. Older generations learned to trust the systems that informed them, while younger generations are learning to question the systems that shape them. Both perspectives have value. One teaches faith in structure; the other teaches caution in chaos.

That night with my parents ended with all of us laughing, rewatching the hoverboard video while debating whether AI will ever stop surprising us. But deep down, I knew what made that moment special; it wasn’t about the video at all. It was about how every generation sees the world through a different lens, shaped by the media that raised them.

And in today’s digital age, those lenses are changing faster than ever.