Entre la saturación y el refugio: características de la evitación informativa de jóvenes en América Latina
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Universidad de Alicante
Resumen
Propósito. Este estudio describe las características
de la evitación de noticias entre jóvenes
estudiantes de Comunicación en universidades
latinoamericanas. Metodología. Se aplicó un
enfoque cualitativo y exploratorio mediante 96
grupos focales realizados entre febrero y diciembre
de 2023 en 37 universidades públicas y privadas de
Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, México, Perú,
Uruguay y Venezuela, con estudiantes de pregrado
seleccionados por conveniencia. Resultados y
conclusiones. Se constató que la evitación es
principalmente selectiva, vinculada con temas
como pandemia, noticias policiales, conflictos
políticos y guerras. La negatividad y la sobrecarga
informativa generan emociones como ansiedad
y angustia, llevando a los jóvenes a desarrollar
estrategias de refugio, entre ellas el uso de redes
sociales para contenidos de entretenimiento, la
configuración algorítmica para silenciar información
y la desconexión temporal de los medios. Estas
prácticas inciden en la forma en que perciben la
calidad y relevancia del periodismo. Aportación
original. El estudio aporta evidencia inédita sobre la
evitación noticiosa en jóvenes latinoamericanos, un
segmento poco explorado pese a su rol futuro como
profesionales de la comunicación. Sus hallazgos
ayudan a comprender cómo los medios pueden
reconectar con audiencias jóvenes, y contribuyen
al debate académico sobre la plataformización del consumo informativo y sus efectos en la relación
entre medios, política y sociedad.
Purpose. This study describes the characteristics of news avoidance among Communication students in Latin American universities. Methodology. A qualitative and exploratory approach was applied through 96 focus groups conducted between February and December 2023 in 37 public and private universities in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela, with undergraduate students recruited by convenience sampling. Results and Conclusions. The findings show that avoidance is mainly selective, focused on topics such as the pandemic, crimerelated news, political conflicts and wars. Negativity and information overload triggered emotions like anxiety and distress, prompting students to develop refuge strategies, including the use of social media for entertainment, algorithmic filtering to silence unwanted content, and temporary disconnection from news sources. These practices influence their perceptions of journalism’s quality and relevance. Singularities. The study provides novel evidence on news avoidance among Latin American youth, a segment underexplored despite its future relevance as communication professionals. The insights contribute to understanding how media organizations may reconnect with younger audiences and to advancing academic debates on platformization, news consumption, and its implications for media, politics and society
Purpose. This study describes the characteristics of news avoidance among Communication students in Latin American universities. Methodology. A qualitative and exploratory approach was applied through 96 focus groups conducted between February and December 2023 in 37 public and private universities in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela, with undergraduate students recruited by convenience sampling. Results and Conclusions. The findings show that avoidance is mainly selective, focused on topics such as the pandemic, crimerelated news, political conflicts and wars. Negativity and information overload triggered emotions like anxiety and distress, prompting students to develop refuge strategies, including the use of social media for entertainment, algorithmic filtering to silence unwanted content, and temporary disconnection from news sources. These practices influence their perceptions of journalism’s quality and relevance. Singularities. The study provides novel evidence on news avoidance among Latin American youth, a segment underexplored despite its future relevance as communication professionals. The insights contribute to understanding how media organizations may reconnect with younger audiences and to advancing academic debates on platformization, news consumption, and its implications for media, politics and society

