Why Do Young Vietnamese Share News Online?

In Vietnam, young people are sharing news on social media a lot. To understand why, researchers looked at what makes news interesting, what people want from it, and how they feel about sharing.

Key Findings

• Societal Impact: News that matters to society and connects with people is more likely to be shared.
• Motivations:
• To learn
• To connect with others
• To feel important
• To have fun
• Truth Matters Less: Young people don’t really care about whether the news is true or not.

The Study

• Participants: Over 1,200 high school and university students from different parts of Vietnam.
• Fear of Missing Out (FOMO): Drives people to share news, especially if they want to be in the loop or look cool.
• Planning to Share: The more they plan to share news, the more they actually do it.
• Verification: They often don’t check if the news is real first.

Implications for Media Companies

• Create Engaging Content: Make news that people care about and feel good sharing.
• Promote Verification: Help young people understand why it's important to check if news is true before sharing it.