Different Feeds, Same World

Did you ever notice how your friends and grandparents live in entirely different worlds—especially when it comes to what they watch or read? It is not just age; it is a question of how media shapes what we think and how we perceive each other.

Older adults came of age relying on the nightly news, newspapers, and radio. To them, they're credible, considerate, and the place to learn what's going on in the world. Younger individuals like us, however, scroll through TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, absorbing bite-sized clips, memes, and hot takes from influencers and friends. It's quick, entertaining, and feels authentic—but occasionally leaves out the whole story or facts.

So miscommunications happen. Your grandmother might think teenagers just watch silly videos and aren't interested in the news, and you might think older generations are out of touch or obsessed with biased viewpoints. Media doesn't just mirror these differences—it exaggerates them, caricaturing us as "tech-crazy kids" or "old and out of date."

Trust is where it really gets tricky. Older generations often trust the “official” news, while younger ones are more skeptical and prefer what feels authentic—even if it’s less polished. That means we’re not even looking at the same “truth,” which makes real talk between generations hard.

But this is the thing: to close this divide, we need to become familiar with each other's media worlds. What if we took the time to discover why Grandma trusts her news, or why your friends trust that TikTok that went viral? What if we combined the content of traditional journalism with the innovation of new media—wouldn't that open up new conversation?

It's not just about facts, but about empathy to learn how to work around and honor each other's media practices. And once we have that, the screens between us may just become bridges instead.