Cost of living and social issues are top priorities for young people in Ireland

The latest Eurobarometer youth survey for the European Parliament has found that rising prices, the cost of living and welfare issues are equally the top issues for 16 to 30 year olds in Ireland, and that a large majority of them are conscious of being exposed to disinformation and fake news.

Despite being one of the top concerns, Irish respondents to the survey were less likely (31%) to name rising prices and the cost of living as a priority when compared with the EU average (40%). Meanwhile, social protection, welfare and access to healthcare was a priority for a higher percentage (31%) than the EU average of 29%. Rising prices and the cost of living was the top priority for youth across the EU27, with it being highest in the Netherlands (52%) and lowest in Romania (23%).

Roberta Metsola said: "Listening to young Europeans and their concerns is vital for politicians, policy-makers and European democracy. Young people today are worried about rising prices, climate change, security and their chances of finding a good job. These are concerns that we must address in every decision we take and every law that we pass. Otherwise, we risk losing a generation to disillusionment.”

Social media just as popular as TV for sourcing information

Social media and television are equally the primary source of information on political and social issues for Irish youth (39% each), despite social media being the top source in the EU at-large (42%). Respondents in Ireland were also less likely (19%) to use online press and/or news platforms than the EU average (26%).

Irish young people also deviate from their EU counterparts with relation to which social media platforms they obtain their information from, with YouTube being the top choice (46%) - the highest of any country in the EU27, where the average is 37%. Instagram (47%) and TikTok (39%) are the top platforms EU-wide, with these being less important among Irish respondents (32% each).

X, formerly known as Twitter, was more popular as a source of information in Ireland (37%), than in any other country, with only 21% of respondents across the EU listing it as an important platform, and just 8% in Slovakia. Facebook was also more popular as a top social media platform for information among Irish respondents (38%) than in the EU overall (27%).

Awareness of disinformation

70% in Ireland said they had been personally exposed to disinformation in the preceding seven days versus the EU average of 76%, though a higher proportion (51%) said they had encountered it either ‘often’ or ‘very often’, compared with 44% across the EU27. Overall, Irish respondents (87%) were among the most likely to express that they could recognise disinformation when they encounter it, with those in Malta (88%) being the most confident and Austria (61%) the least confident.

“The information landscape is rapidly changing. With most young people predominantly getting their news from social media, politicians and social media platforms have a particular responsibility to fight increasing disinformation,” President Metsola added.

The Eurobarometer Youth Survey Results can be found here. An Ireland-specific factsheet can be downloaded here.