How parents' communication influences their children news use habits

What is it about?

Keeping up with the news of the day is a habit that some people have, whereas others don't. We provide and test and explanation for how adolescents develop a habit for following (or not) the news. We show that specific communication patterns in the family instill in children particular personality traits and psychological needs that may lead them to consume more or less news.

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Why is it important?

The decline of the news industry around the world has worried media companies, experts and policymakers for the myriad (negative) consequences of an uninformed citizenry. By positing that individuals develop a habit for keeping up with the news when they are growing up with their parents, we show a way of tackling the problem of news avoidance in the younger generations.