The Japanese paradox of "watching SNS without trusting it": About 40% have "failed due to misinformation", but TV remains #1 in trust
A 2026 survey of 1,200 people in Japan revealed that while SNS use is growing, TV remains the most trusted media. Furthermore, about 40% have experienced failures from trusting SNS, highlighting an information literacy gap.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 14, 2026 at 19:40
- 🔍 Collected: April 14, 2026 at 11:01
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 19, 2026 at 17:51 (126h 49m after Collected)
With the spread of SNS and YouTube, we have entered an era where everyone is exposed to a massive amount of information, raising the question of "what to believe." To clarify how information reception differs by generation, "I want to eat shrimp ramen and chocolate mont blanc Inc." conducted a survey on "Media Influence/Trust and Purchasing Influence in the SNS Era" among 1,200 men and women aged 20 to 79 nationwide.
As a result, while the use of SNS and YouTube is expanding, TV remains the top in terms of trust. In addition, about 40% of the respondents have experienced failure by believing information on SNS, revealing a contradictory reality of "using it without trusting it." Furthermore, in purchasing behavior, generational trends were divided among TV, word-of-mouth, and SNS, creating a significant gap in how people interact with information.
■ Survey Overview
Survey Period: Questions 1-5: March 13, 2026
Questions 6-7: March 16-23, 2026
Survey Method: Internet Survey
Target Audience: Questions 1-5: Men and women aged 20 to under 80 nationwide
Questions 6-7: Respondents of Questions 1-5
Sample Size: Questions 1-5: 1,200 people (equal allocation of 50 men and 50 women in 5-year increments)
Questions 6-7: 1,156 people
Research Agency: Freeasy
* When using the survey results from this release, please be sure to specify "Survey by I want to eat shrimp ramen and chocolate mont blanc Inc."
■ Survey Results
1. TV is still the main player in the SNS era, while SNS and videos are rising among the youth
When asked about the "information media used on a daily basis," "TV" was the most common overall, revealing that it is still the center of information contact.
On the other hand, looking by age group, the composition differs greatly. While TV usage is overwhelming among those in their 50s and older, the usage rate drops significantly to just over 30% among those in their 20s. Instead, the presence of SNS and video media such as "X (formerly Twitter)," "Instagram," and "YouTube" stood out. Especially in their 20s, the usage rate of "YouTube" and "X" is high at over 40%, clearly showing the youth's "departure from TV" and "decentralized media contact."
Also, "Web news" grew rapidly from the 30s onwards, becoming the second major media after TV for those in their 40s and older, highlighting that the combination of "TV + digital" is the mainstream for the middle-aged and elderly.
2. Purchasing behavior is polarized between "word-of-mouth" and "TV"
Regarding the "most referenced information when purchasing products or services," "TV programs/CMs" was the highest overall, followed by "word-of-mouth/reviews" and "corporate official sites."
However, clear differences appeared here as well by age group. In the 60s and 70s, the influence of "TV programs/CMs" is extremely strong, leaving other media far behind. Meanwhile, in the 40s and 50s, the presence of "word-of-mouth/reviews" increases, indicating that real-experience-based information strongly influences decision-making.
Furthermore, in their 20s, the influence of SNS like "X," "Instagram," and "TikTok" is more prominent than in other age groups, highlighting the structure that for the youth, "information contact on SNS" is more directly linked to purchasing behavior than "real-world word-of-mouth."
3. "Trust" is still in TV and official info; SNS is used but trust is limited
Regarding the "most trusted information source," "TV programs/CMs" topped the list overall, followed by "corporate official sites" and "opinions of family/friends." It is noteworthy that the trust level of SNS and influencers is generally low. While a certain degree of trust in "X" and "YouTube" is seen in the 20s, it sharply declines as the age group goes up, clarifying that SNS is a media that is "used but not trusted."
In addition, those in their 50s and 60s have higher trust in "corporate official sites" and "opinions of family/friends" than other media, suggesting a strong tendency to value the authenticity of information.
4. Experience of failure due to SNS information is higher among the youth, manifesting an "information literacy gap"
Regarding the "experience of failing by believing information seen on SNS," it was found that about 40% of the total have had some sort of experience.
Looking by age group, failure experiences are the highest in the 20s, with prominent answers like "frequently" and "several times," while as the age goes up, the failure rate decreases.
As a result, while the use of SNS and YouTube is expanding, TV remains the top in terms of trust. In addition, about 40% of the respondents have experienced failure by believing information on SNS, revealing a contradictory reality of "using it without trusting it." Furthermore, in purchasing behavior, generational trends were divided among TV, word-of-mouth, and SNS, creating a significant gap in how people interact with information.
■ Survey Overview
Survey Period: Questions 1-5: March 13, 2026
Questions 6-7: March 16-23, 2026
Survey Method: Internet Survey
Target Audience: Questions 1-5: Men and women aged 20 to under 80 nationwide
Questions 6-7: Respondents of Questions 1-5
Sample Size: Questions 1-5: 1,200 people (equal allocation of 50 men and 50 women in 5-year increments)
Questions 6-7: 1,156 people
Research Agency: Freeasy
* When using the survey results from this release, please be sure to specify "Survey by I want to eat shrimp ramen and chocolate mont blanc Inc."
■ Survey Results
1. TV is still the main player in the SNS era, while SNS and videos are rising among the youth
When asked about the "information media used on a daily basis," "TV" was the most common overall, revealing that it is still the center of information contact.
On the other hand, looking by age group, the composition differs greatly. While TV usage is overwhelming among those in their 50s and older, the usage rate drops significantly to just over 30% among those in their 20s. Instead, the presence of SNS and video media such as "X (formerly Twitter)," "Instagram," and "YouTube" stood out. Especially in their 20s, the usage rate of "YouTube" and "X" is high at over 40%, clearly showing the youth's "departure from TV" and "decentralized media contact."
Also, "Web news" grew rapidly from the 30s onwards, becoming the second major media after TV for those in their 40s and older, highlighting that the combination of "TV + digital" is the mainstream for the middle-aged and elderly.
2. Purchasing behavior is polarized between "word-of-mouth" and "TV"
Regarding the "most referenced information when purchasing products or services," "TV programs/CMs" was the highest overall, followed by "word-of-mouth/reviews" and "corporate official sites."
However, clear differences appeared here as well by age group. In the 60s and 70s, the influence of "TV programs/CMs" is extremely strong, leaving other media far behind. Meanwhile, in the 40s and 50s, the presence of "word-of-mouth/reviews" increases, indicating that real-experience-based information strongly influences decision-making.
Furthermore, in their 20s, the influence of SNS like "X," "Instagram," and "TikTok" is more prominent than in other age groups, highlighting the structure that for the youth, "information contact on SNS" is more directly linked to purchasing behavior than "real-world word-of-mouth."
3. "Trust" is still in TV and official info; SNS is used but trust is limited
Regarding the "most trusted information source," "TV programs/CMs" topped the list overall, followed by "corporate official sites" and "opinions of family/friends." It is noteworthy that the trust level of SNS and influencers is generally low. While a certain degree of trust in "X" and "YouTube" is seen in the 20s, it sharply declines as the age group goes up, clarifying that SNS is a media that is "used but not trusted."
In addition, those in their 50s and 60s have higher trust in "corporate official sites" and "opinions of family/friends" than other media, suggesting a strong tendency to value the authenticity of information.
4. Experience of failure due to SNS information is higher among the youth, manifesting an "information literacy gap"
Regarding the "experience of failing by believing information seen on SNS," it was found that about 40% of the total have had some sort of experience.
Looking by age group, failure experiences are the highest in the 20s, with prominent answers like "frequently" and "several times," while as the age goes up, the failure rate decreases.