Cynicism and internalized responsibility for digital well-being among young people in Slovenia

The contemporary media environment is marked by profound disruptions, particularly in how young people engage with and trust digital platforms. This paper situates these shifts within the broader theme of ruptures, conceptualizing them as both discontinuities in media consumption and broader epistemological breaks in young people’s relationship with (digital) media, trust, and platform power. We focus on how digital platforms shape youth attitudes toward news credibility, the ethical responsibilities of media organizations, and the increasing individualization of responsibility—the notion that users themselves are solely accountable for navigating opaque and exploitative digital ecosystems. Our study draws on qualitative insights from the research project Digital maturity of youth: social needs and informal education of youth in the digital age, in which 41 young people (aged 16-24) were interviewed to explore their media practices and identify their needs, while addressing the deficits of their experiences and the shortcomings within changing digital media landscape. Building on scholarship in media studies, digital sociology, and critical platform studies, we argue that the erosion of institutional trust and the rise of platform-mediated epistemologies constitute a rupture in how young people conceptualize media credibility, power, and agency. On the backdrop of qualitative thematic analysis, these ruptures manifest as 1. cynicism toward digital media and social platforms, 2. heightened but paradoxical expectations for legacy media, and 3. individualization of responsibility (internalized responsibility) for digital well-being.