Americans’ disinterest in news has grown in recent years

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In 2016, 51% of U.S. adults said they followed the news all or most of the time. But that share fell to 38% in 2022, the most recent time we asked this question.

In turn, a rising share of Americans say they follow the news only now and then. While 12% of adults said this in 2016, that figure increased to 19% by 2022. And while 5% of adults said in 2016 that they hardly ever follow the news, 9% said the same last year.

Older adults are more likely to say they follow the news all or most of the time, while younger adults are less likely.

However, Americans in all age groups have become less likely to say they follow the news all or most of the time since 2016.

For example, 46% of adults ages 30 to 49 said in 2016 that they followed the news all or most of the time. As of last year, 27% said this – a decline of 19 percentage points. Although the decline was smaller among adults 18 to 29, their share was relatively low to begin with: 27% said they followed the news closely in 2016, and this fell to 19% in 2022.

The recent decline in Americans’ attention to the news has occurred across demographic lines, including education, gender, race, ethnicity and political party affiliation. But the decline is still bigger among some groups than others.

For example, the decrease has been particularly steep among Republicans, who have also become much less likely to trust information from national news organizations in recent years.

In 2016, 57% of Republicans and independents who read Republican said they followed the news all or most of the time. In the 2022 survey, 37% said the same, a decrease of 20 points. By comparison, the share saying this among Democrats and Democratic leaners dropped by only 7 points, from 49% to 42%.

Is it OK to not watch the news?

You might feel that as a good citizen, you have to watch them, but really, the world doesn’t care. If you want to make an impact, go start a project, donate clothes, or get politically active — but stop watching the news because you think you’re supposed to or it makes you feel good about yourself.

Is it addictive to watch the news?

An addiction to watching the news is more common—and harmful—than you might think. Many people don’t even believe news addiction is a real affliction. After all, everyone seems to watch 24/7 news channels like CNN, MSNBC and Fox News.

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