Incidental consumption and social validation: information practices of centennial university women in Medellín on social mediaConsumo incidental y validación social: prácticas informativas de mujeres centennials universitarias de Medellín en redes sociales doxa.comunicación | nº 43, pp. 463-488 | 463 July-December of 2026ISSN: 1696-019X / e-ISSN: 2386-3978How to cite this article: Quirós-Ramírez, A. C.; Echeverri-Echavarría, M. A. and Morales-Gil, G. (2026). Incidental consumption and social validation: information practices of centennial university women in Medellín on social media. Doxa Comunicación, 43, pp. 463-488.https://doi.org/10.31921/doxacom.3484Ana Catalina Quirós-Ramírez. PhD in Communication from the University of Málaga (Spain) and Master’s degree in Marketing Management from the University of Viña del Mar (Chile). She is a full-time professor at the Faculty of Communication at the University of Medellín, where she currently serves as Academic Coordinator of the Master’s Program in Brand Communication. She is a researcher recognized by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MinCiencias) and a member of the Holográco Research Group at the same institution. Her research interests include communication and gender, branding and marketing, social advertising, and digital platforms. She has served as a juror at Ee Awards Colombia. Her most recent co-authored publication is “A dierential approach to the analysis of gender campaigns in El Tiempo, Colombia”, published in Cuadernos.Info.Universidad de Medellín. Medellín, Colombia [email protected]ORCID: 0000-0002-7417-8499 María Antonia Echeverri-Echavarría. She holds degrees in Advertising Graphic Communication and Audiovisual Communication from the University of Medellín (Colombia). She is a researcher aliated with the Holográco Research Seedbed at the same institution. Her research interests focus on culture, consumption, and gender studies, with an emphasis on Generation Z from a sociocultural perspective. She is the author of “eoretical foundations for the construction of consumer proles: Centennial women”, published in the Cuadernos del Centro de Estudios de Diseño y Comunicación journal. Professionally, she works as a Junior Strategist at DENICOLÁS/TBWA (Colombia).DENICOLÁS/TBWA. Bogotá, Colombia [email protected]ORCID: 0009-0005-1637-9179Gustavo Morales-Gil. He holds a Master’s degree in Marketing Management from the University of Viña del Mar (Chile) and a degree in Public Accounting from the University of Medellín (Colombia). He is a faculty member at the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences at the University of Medellín. His research interests include marketing and strategy, consumer behavior, marketing and gender, and corporate social responsibility. His publications and international conference presentations examine marketing and corporate strategy from a social perspective. In addition to his academic work, he works as a business consultant and has served as a juror at Ee Awards Colombia. His most recent publication is Accounting and sustainability: toward an organizational culture based on legitimacy, published by McGraw Hill.Universidad de Medellín. Medellín, Colombia [email protected] https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6069-2913 is content is published under Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License. International License CC BY-NC 4.0

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]


464 | nº 43, pp. 463-488 | July-December of 2026Incidental consumption and social validation: information practices of centennial university women in Medellín on social...ISSN: 1696-019X / e-ISSN: 2386-3978doxa.comunicación1. Introduction1.1. Conceptual framework We live in a hyperconnected society where factors such as immediacy and the abundance of content have displaced traditional models of communication. is change is expressed most strongly in Generation Z, considered the rst fully digital generation (Arango Lozano, 2019), who, unlike Millennials, who grew up between analog and digital, were born into a media ecosystem dominated by the Internet, social networks, and the need for constant connectivity (Gallego Gómez et al., 2024; Garitaonandia et al., 2020; Kantar, 2018). is is how Generation Z, also called Centennial, is often dened in Spanish-language scholarship, through what are known as the “four i’s”–a term that refers to four elements beginning with the letter i in Spanish: Internet, irreverence, immediacy, and uncertainty (García Rivero et al., 2022; Martínez-Estrella et al., 2023). Recibido: 28/11/2025 - Aceptado: 23/03/2026 - En edición: 03/06/2026 - Publicado: 01/07/2026Resumen:El presente artículo analiza las prácticas de consumo digital e informa-tivo de mujeres centennials universitarias en Medellín, Colombia, con énfasis en su relación con la información de actualidad que circula en redes sociales. Desde un enfoque cualitativo, descriptivo y exploratorio, se combinan datos de un cuestionario en línea (n=443) con entrevistas semiestructuradas (n=5). El estudio aborda tres dimensiones: uso de dis-positivos y plataformas digitales, consumo de contenidos, y percepción sobre información de actualidad. Los resultados muestran que las jóve-nes acceden a noticias de manera incidental y fragmentaria y regulan su consumo para evitar sobrecarga emocional. Se constata una marcada desconanza en las fuentes informativas tradicionales, con la credibili-dad depositada, en cambio, en el consenso entre su comunidad digital y sus vínculos afectivos. Emerge una tensión entre el discurso de uso pro-ductivo de la tecnología y las prácticas reales centradas en el ocio, donde la mayoría actúa como consumidora pasiva. Instagram y TikTok funcio-nan como principales espacios informativos, priorizando temas educati-vos y sociales, su foco de mayor compromiso. Los hallazgos contribuyen a comprender cómo las nuevas audiencias reconguran la autoridad informativa y el signicado atribuido a la información de actualidad, privilegiando la validación colectiva horizontal sobre los modelos infor-mativos tradicionales y verticales. Palabras clave: Generación Z; Mujeres centennials; Consumo informativo incidental; Redes sociales; Conanza mediática. Received: 28/11/2025 - Accepted: 23/03/2026 - Early access: 04/06/2026 - Published: 01/07/2026Abstract:is article analyzes the digital and informational consumption practices of centennial university women in Medellín, Colombia, with an emphasis on their relationship with current aairs information circulating on social media. Adopting a qualitative, descriptive, and exploratory approach, the study combines data from an online questionnaire (n=443) with semi-structured interviews (n=5). It examines three dimensions: the use of digital devices and platforms, content consumption, and perceptions of current aairs information. e ndings show that participants access news in an incidental and fragmented manner and regulate their consumption to avoid emotional overload. A marked distrust of traditional information sources is observed, with credibility instead placed in the consensus within their digital communities and aective ties. A tension emerges between the discourse of productive technology use and actual practices centered on leisure, where most participants act as passive consumers. Instagram and TikTok function as the main informational spaces, prioritizing educational and social topics as areas of greatest engagement. e ndings contribute to understanding how new audiences recongure informational authority and the meaning attributed to current aairs information, privileging horizontal collective validation over traditional, vertical informational models.Keywords: Generation Z; Centennial women; Incidental news consumption; Social media; Media Trust.
doxa.comunicación | nº 43, pp. 463-488 July-December of 2026Ana Catalina Quirós-Ramírez, María Antonia Echeverri-Echavarría and Gustavo Morales-GilISSN: 1696-019X / e-ISSN: 2386-3978| 465 Mobile devices have become the primary point of access for new generations to the many dimensions of their digital lives: from entertainment and social relationships to information consumption and training and education. (Gil Ramírez y Gómez de Travesedo, 2018; López Vidales y Gómez Rubio, 2021; Peña-Fernández et al., 2022; Marugán Solís y Martín Critikián, 2023). In this ecosystem, two aspects valued by this generation stand out: identication with inuential gures –such as inuencers–(Martín Cárdaba et al., 2024; Catalina-García et al., 2021) and the possibility of learning through the content they share, which reinforces the informal, visual, and personalized nature of their learning trajectories (Suárez-Álvarez et al., 2023).Several studies agree that social networks and audiovisual platforms –such as YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitch– have displaced the attention once held by traditional media, reshaping the information habits of young audiences (Fernández-Muñoz et al., 2024; García Rivero et al., 2022; IAB Spain, 2023; Marín-Dueñas y Simancas-González, 2019; Marugán Solís y Martín Critikián, 2023; Suárez-Álvarez y García-Jiménez, 2021). In this digital ecosystem, information circulates alongside entertainment content and social interaction practices on social networks. As a result, a signicant portion of news exposure occurs without there being a deliberate search. e literature has conceptualized this phenomenon under the term incidental information consumption. Several studies show that, in the case of the Centennial Generation, this phenomenon favors passive, fragmented, and intermittent reception practices (Catalina-García et al., 2015, 2021; Pérez-Escoda y Pedrero, 2021; Farias-Batlle, et al., 2024; Ceballos-del-Cid et al., 2025). is concept is also linked to the News Find Me phenomenon, according to which users believe that information “nds them” without the need for an active search (Gil de Zúñiga y Cheng, 2021).Cortés Quesada et al., (2023) highlight the rise of new information formats based on short micro-content and rapid consumption, designed to be viewed quickly on digital platforms. ese formats, comparable to “snackable content”, have become their preferred way of accessing content. In this way, nanojournalism emerges as a phenomenon that seeks to convey news in a brief and accessible manner, nding in TikTok a fertile ground to connect with Gen Z, its main audience (Díaz-Lucena y Vicente-Fernández, 2023). However, it is also evident that other age groups are beginning to adopt this agile and visual communication format (IAB Spain, 2023). In this line of argument, social networks serve as their primary source of entertainment and information (López Vidales y Gómez Rubio, 2021; Martín Cárdaba et al., 2024; Pérez-Escoda y Pedrero, 2021). Nevertheless, this phenomenon presents some contradictions: although young people increasingly distrust conventional media, they do not view social networks as fully truthful sources either. is reects a divergence between the desire for informational autonomy and a distrust in the face of message overload and the proliferation of fake news (Pérez-Escoda y Pedrero, 2021). It is also noteworthy that, although the number of content views grows every year, the participation of the audience decreases: fewer “likes,” comments, and shared posts are registered (Díaz-Lucena y Vicente-Fernández, 2023). Despite their apparent detachment or disinterest, they actually express a dierent form of engagement shaped by co-creation, identity building, and a sense of community belonging (Giraldo-Luque et al., 2017; Luo, 2025; Suárez-Álvarez et al., 2023), all within a context mediated by information overload, polarization (Lobera y Rubio, 2015), and an unusually heightened awareness of the negative eects of excessive technology use (Peredy et al., 2024).
466 | nº 43, pp. 463-488 | July-December of 2026Incidental consumption and social validation: information practices of centennial university women in Medellín on social...ISSN: 1696-019X / e-ISSN: 2386-3978doxa.comunicación1.2. eoretical frameworkFrom a theoretical point of view, this study draws on the theory of uses and gratications, which posits that audiences are not passive recipients but active agents who use media to satisfy cognitive, aective, social-integration, and identity-construction needs (Katz, Blumler y Gurevitch, 1973). In the digital context, this perspective allows us to understand how young Centennials orient and re-signify their information consumption based on emotional and identity-related motivations, even in settings shaped by algorithmic logics and incidental exposure.Likewise, the phenomenon of context collapse (Marwick, 2011) is relevant to understanding how, in digital environments, diverse audiences converge in the same space with heterogeneous characteristics, making it dicult to anticipate who receives the messages and under what expectations. In response to this phenomenon, the notion of “imagined audiences” has been created as a strategy to reduce ambiguity about the users to whom content is directed.ese qualities place this audience within a context of constant change, which Bauman (2015) described as “liquid modernity”, where according to this author, nothing is stable and everything ows in an era where the unstable is the only enduring certainty, even aective bonds tend to be brief and supercial. In this way, young people learn to move across multiple simultaneous and shifting realities, where digital technology is the environment in which social, cultural, and informational relationships are produced.According to Sánchez Riaño et al. (2022), the identity of Centennials is built around six axes that guide their ways of being in the digital environment. eir friends and close social environment are their reference groups to dene tastes, attitudes, and opinions, while their aesthetic search reects the desire to continually reinvent their physical and virtual image. In this way, the dynamics of social validation, the search for approval and the strategic management of the digital image operate within this framework of permanent exposure. Inuencers constantly appear as new leaders who inspire behaviors and ways of thinking. In addition, approval on social networks strengthens their self-esteem and fuels the creation of a personal brand. Finally, their sense of belonging emerges from recognition within digital communities where they share common values and styles, combined with the consumption of trending products.In line with this digital dynamic focused on aective connection and identity construction, Giraldo-Luque et al. (2017) propose a classication of the motivations that drive young people to interact on social networks, grouping them into personal, social, communicational, and professional categories. is view is complemented by the work of Owen et al. (2018), who identify six predominant emotions in the digital experience of Generation Z: pride, fear, compassion, frustration, humor, and hope. In this way, the shift of informational authority towards relational validation and inuencers can be interpreted from the same logics of social gratication and community belonging (Suárez-Álvarez et al., 2023).1.3. State of the artInternational research has largely focused on the general characteristics of Generation Z as the rst generation of digital natives. ese studies describe them through their digital practices, generational values, and media consumption habits (Arango Lozano, 2019; Sánchez Riaño et al., 2022); as well as through the analysis of information consumption and the use of
doxa.comunicación | nº 43, pp. 463-488 July-December of 2026Ana Catalina Quirós-Ramírez, María Antonia Echeverri-Echavarría and Gustavo Morales-GilISSN: 1696-019X / e-ISSN: 2386-3978| 467 social networks as platforms for access to news (Catalina-García et al., 2015, 2021; Gómez de Travesedo y Gil Ramírez, 2020; Farias-Batlle et al., 2024). However, most of these studies approach the generation as a relatively homogeneous group without systematically disaggregating habits and perceptions according to gender. Although some research has incorporated gender as a variable in the analysis of media use and digital habits –whether through comparisons between men and women in professional elds such as journalism, or through the study of the relationship between stereotypes and social-media content consumption among adolescents (Ganzabal Learreta et al., 2021; Martín Cárdaba et al., 2024)– these approaches do not focus on the qualitative exploration of the daily information practices of Centennial university women, which is the focus of this work. In this regard, the specic analysis of the female segment continues to be limited, particularly in the Latin American context, as much of the academic production on the topic has been developed in European and/or Anglo-Saxon settings. Similarly, the literature reveals gaps in relation to studies focused on the perceptions of young university students about their digital and informational consumption. Within this framework, the present study provides the following dierentiating elements: (1) it focuses on Centennial university women; (2) it qualitatively examines the perceptions of digital consumption and informational credibility of these young women; and (3) it analyzes the case of Medellín as a Latin American digital context.1.4. Contextual frameworke study is located in Medellín, a city that in the last decade has consolidated itself as an urban ecosystem oriented towards technological innovation, connectivity, and digital transformation, through public policies focused on education and digital inclusion (Alcaldía de Medellín, 2024, 2025).is context is particularly relevant in the analysis of youth information practices, as it combines high levels of connectivity, widespread access to mobile devices, and an active governmental presence in digital literacy initiatives, as mentioned above. Analyzing university women in this environment allows for a situated reading of a global phenomenon, incorporating cultural and territorial variables typical of the Latin American context.1.5. Objective and design of the studyFrom a qualitative approach of a descriptive and exploratory nature, the research employs an online questionnaire administered to young university students aged 18 to 24 residing in the city, from which 443 responses were obtained. is was combined with semi-structured interviews conducted with a subset of this population. is raises the question: What are the main practices of digital and information consumption among Centennial women in Medellín? e analysis is organized around three main objectives: (1) Describe the uses and preferences of digital devices and platforms among Centennial university women in Medellín. (2) Explore the digital content they habitually consume within their everyday digital environments. (3) Analyze how they access, perceive, and share current information within the digital environments they inhabit.In this way, the study aims to understand how these young women manage their relationship with technologies and digital sources in a context characterized by overexposure and immediacy.
468 | nº 43, pp. 463-488 | July-December of 2026Incidental consumption and social validation: information practices of centennial university women in Medellín on social...ISSN: 1696-019X / e-ISSN: 2386-3978doxa.comunicación2. Methodology2.1. Approach and designe study adopted a qualitative, descriptive, and exploratory approach, aimed at understanding the uses, meanings, and practices of digital and information consumption among Centennial university women in Medellín.e methodological design was based on the techiques of the online questionnaire and the semi-structured interview. e rst techique draws on the growing body of specialized literature that supports the use of digital tools to investigate the online behavior of the Centennial generation (Ganzabal Learreta et al., 2021; Martínez-Estrella et al., 2023). e second technique was selected because it allows the perceptions, experiences, and discourses of the participants to be explored in a exible manner. According to Hernández-Sampieri, Fernández-Collado, and Baptista Lucio (2014), this technique allows for the maintenance of a basic thematic guide to orient the encounter with the interviewees, without restricting spontaneity or the emergence of new categories. Although an online questionnaire was applied, it was not intended to produce representative estimates or make statistical inferences. In line with the exploratory nature of the study, the survey was used from a qualitative perspective as an initial mapping tool: it allowed the identication of recurrent trends, perceptions, and response patterns that informed the selection of participants and the construction of the semi-structured interview script. ese interviews made it possible to deepen and contrast the preliminary ndings of the questionnaire through an interpretative analysis aimed at understanding meanings, experiences, and criteria of informational credibility. As Hernández-Sampieri and Mendoza Torres (2018) point out, qualitative research favors the depth of analysis over statistical generalization and seeks to interpret the meanings that individuals construct around the social phenomena they experience. In this case, the focus is on exploring, in a situated and contextualized manner, the ways in which young women access, use, and make sense of the information they encounter on digital platforms.Along these lines, the interviews made it possible to examine the questionnaire ndings in greater depth and to contrast the trends identied in this rst instrument, while also recognizing convergences, contrasts, and reformulations within individual discourses. is process resulted in a qualitative and sequential triangulation between instruments, aimed at the interpretive contrast of the results.In line with the study’s objectives, the questionnaire included questions aimed at identifying the devices used, the platforms through which participants connect, and the types of content they consume (see Appendix A). e semistructured interviews, in turn, explored in greater depth the ways in which participants access current information, their perceptions of informational credibility, and the everyday criteria they use to interpret and share content considered to be current (see Appendix B). is articulation made it possible to link the general trends identied in the questionnaire with individual perceptions that explain the meanings attributed to these practices.
doxa.comunicación | nº 43, pp. 463-488 July-December of 2026Ana Catalina Quirós-Ramírez, María Antonia Echeverri-Echavarría and Gustavo Morales-GilISSN: 1696-019X / e-ISSN: 2386-3978| 469 2.2. Population and samplee target population consisted of university women belonging to Generation Z or the Centennial cohort (18-24 years old) who, in addition to identifying as women, were residents of urban areas of Medellín and active users of digital devices. Access to the participants was achieved through a call circulated in university settings and through digital dissemination aimed at students who met the established criteria, which resulted in 443 responses to the online questionnaire.From these 443 responses, ve participants were selected for individual semistructured interviews aimed at exploring in greater depth the perceptions and practices identied in the questionnaire. e selection was carried out through purposive sampling, incorporating diversity in age within the established range (18–24 years), dierent areas of academic study, and types of institution (public or private), to broaden the range of experiences considered and avoid an excessively homogeneous group composition. eir proles are presented in Table 1 below. Table 1. Prole of the interviewed participantsCodeAgeAcademic ProgramDisciplinary AreaType of UniversityE122Graphic Advertising CommunicationSocial SciencesPrivateE223BiologyNatural SciencesPublicE324Fashion DesignFine ArtsPublicE418MarketingAdministrative SciencesPrivateE521MathematicsBasic SciencesPublicSource: Author’s own elaboration2.3. Analysis proceduree instruments were applied during the second half of 2023. For the treatment of empirical material, thematic analysis was used- a qualitative technique that allows the identication of recurring patterns of meaning in the data from a systematic process of coding and categorization (Braun y Clarke, 2006; Hernández-Sampieri et al., 2014). is technique was selected for its methodological exibility and its suitability for the analysis of discourses from interviews and open-ended responses in questionnaires.e procedure consisted of an initial manual coding, followed by the grouping of relevant segments into emerging categories, and nally the organization of the ndings around the three previously dened analytical axes. is approach facilitated an interpretative and structured reading of the data, without losing sight of the complexity and density of the experiences narrated by the participants.
470 | nº 43, pp. 463-488 | July-December of 2026Incidental consumption and social validation: information practices of centennial university women in Medellín on social...ISSN: 1696-019X / e-ISSN: 2386-3978doxa.comunicacióne analytical process enabled the identication of patterns related to the functional organization of digital platforms, modes of access to information, dimensions associated with information consumption, and the criteria by which participants delimit what they recognize as current information. ese emerging categories were later contrasted across instruments to strengthen the interpretative consistency of the ndings. e analytical categories derived from this process correspond directly to the dimensions explored in the instruments included in the annexes of the article.2.4. Ethical considerationsInformed consent, data condentiality, and the freedom to withdraw at any time were guaranteed. e use of textual excerpts was authorized by the participants, and their anonymity was preserved in accordance with ethical principles in research. Accordingly, in the results section they will be identied as E1, E2, E3, E4, and E5. 3. FindingsFrom a qualitative, descriptive, and exploratory approach, the analysis was structured around the three axes mentioned earlier: (1) use and preference of digital devices and platforms; (2) consumption of digital content in these environments; and (3) perceptions of current information. Both the data collected through the online questionnaire and the testimonies obtained in the semistructured interviews were considered. 3.1. Use and consumption of digital devices and platformse results of the online questionnaire indicate that the mobile phone is the device most used by the Centennial women participating in the study, with the smartphone being the center of their digital experience. is nding is reinforced by semi-structured interviews, in which participants describe the cell phone as an extension of their daily lives and essential for both personal and academic activities. For example, E1 stated that “it is an extension of my body,” while E3 noted that “you wake up and the rst thing you do is look at your phone.” For her part, E5 expressed that, “I feel that without my phone I wouldn’t be able to do anything.” In addition to smartphones, participants reported that they use several devices at the same time and can use two to four devices simultaneously. After the cell phone, the laptop is the second most used device, and the television is also present to a lesser extent. It was also found that other screens, such as desktop computers, tablets, and video game consoles have a less widespread use among the participants.Unlike the questionnaire, the interviews introduce a critical dimension by evidencing an ambivalent experience in the face of technological use: although technology facilitates access and autonomy, it also generates perceptions of saturation and dependence. Along these lines, some interviewees described self-care and digital self-regulation strategies aimed at limiting connection times and the use of applications:E4: “I’ve deleted apps because I felt they were taking too much of my time.”E1: “Sometimes I set time limits because otherwise I end up spending hours.”
doxa.comunicación | nº 43, pp. 463-488 July-December of 2026Ana Catalina Quirós-Ramírez, María Antonia Echeverri-Echavarría and Gustavo Morales-GilISSN: 1696-019X / e-ISSN: 2386-3978| 471 In contrast, the questionnaire reected that most participants spend between four and seven hours a day using their preferred device. e data collected in the interviews showed that these young women tend to concentrate their digital activity at two key moments of the day: the early hours of the morning and in the evenings. Specically, they mention that they tend to interact more frequently on their preferred platforms between 7:30 and 8:00 a.m., at the start of their day, and again between 8:00 and 10:00 p.m., as part of their evening routines. ese intervals reect both their available time (considering their academic schedules and periods without access to Wi-Fi) and their need for social connection or emotional disconnection, depending on the time of day.e survey revealed that, in general, the young university women tend to keep active sessions on up to eight digital platforms simultaneously. However, their most frequent use is concentrated in three or four applications within the same technological category. In the case of platforms that require a subscription or payment, such as audiovisual or music streaming services, the tendency narrows to one and, at most, two accounts per person. Netix and Spotify stand out as the most widely used and preferred paid options in these two categories, based on the type of content they oer and the familiarity the participants have with their interfaces and catalogs. Additionally, the testimonies show that their constant digital immersion does not automatically translate into high technological competence. It became evident that most interviewees do not identify as “digital natives,” despite having grown up during the Internet era. In this regard, E1 stated, “Even though they always say we are a digitalnative generation, I don’t think we fully are.”3.1.1. Majority preference: social networksWhen asked about the technological category they use and value the most, social networks emerged as the most predominant choice. Instant messaging appeared in second place at a considerable distance. e use of music streaming platforms ranked third, although with a notably smaller share. Meanwhile, video games, video streaming, and live broadcasts were at much lower levels of preference within the group.A noteworthy nding from the interviews is that most of the participants express uncertainty about what can be classied as a social network and what cannot, as well as about which functions are typical of each of the technological categories that were investigated. As a result, they choose to call the dierent digital platforms social networks. Several interviewees described this perception explicitly: E1 stated, “I feel like everything is a social network; I don’t know which one is just a messaging app or what” while E3 noted, “I’m not sure whether Instagram is a social network or a photo app –everything feels mixed together to me.” E4 added, “To me, all of these things are social media, although some are more for messages or videos.” 3.1.2. Instagram: the dominant social networkWithin the social media category, Instagram stands out as the platform most widely used and preferred among the young participants, as they all use it actively. TikTok is positioned in second place, followed by YouTube, which also holds a signicant presence. Pinterest appears less frequently, though its use remains relevant, especially if you consider its more specialized nature.
472 | nº 43, pp. 463-488 | July-December of 2026Incidental consumption and social validation: information practices of centennial university women in Medellín on social...ISSN: 1696-019X / e-ISSN: 2386-3978doxa.comunicacióne study found that although Facebook is perceived by this generation as an “outdated” social network, it continues to have considerable adoption among the young women. In contrast, Twitter (now X) shows moderate use, and LinkedIn stands out as the platform with the lowest presence among the main social networks.3.1.3. WhatsApp: the universal communication applicationIn instant messaging, the questionnaire showed that WhatsApp dominates overwhelmingly. Instagram appears again in this category, fullling a dual role as both a social network and a messaging tool, with similarly high levels of use.e interviews, for their part, showed that the participants use WhatsApp as their main means of communication and turn to other platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for entertainment. On this point, E3 explained, “e instantmessaging category is my favorite because, throughout the day, I have to communicate with many people, and I prefer to do it through WhatsApp.”3.1.4. Reasons for using their preferred platformsLeisure and entertainment clearly top the list. Social life follows closely in second place. Studying and learning occupy the third position. In the intermediate positions appears “staying up to date with news and events,” followed by work or networking. Shopping holds a lower priority, and expressing opinions ranks last.In this sense, only a small minority use the platforms to express their opinions publicly. e questionnaire allowed us to infer that, in general, the women use the dierent categories for mostly social and entertainment purposes, not to create content or actively participate. In this regard, E4 remarked, “I don’t post much, I prefer to see what others upload.”In the interviews, the young women reported being more careful about what they post on their dierent social networks: their posts, the possible aesthetic variations in their content, and the tastes they display are all shaped by the intention to build and reinforce their personal brand in digital spaces. As E4 noted, “You only show what you want others to see.”3.2. Use and consumption of digital content3.2.1. The content they prefere results of the questionnaire showed that young women in Medellín are mainly inclined to consume humorous and social content. ese formats are the most popular among the participants, in line with the reasons they themselves mentioned for using social networks: leisure, entertainment, and social interaction. However, when semi-structured interviews were conducted, a dierent discourse emerged. In this context, several participants emphasized that they use technology for academic and work purposes, which contrasts with the consumption patterns reported in the questionnaire and highlights a discrepancy between entertainment practices and representations of productive use, which is evident in the testimonies of the interviewees. In this regard, E3 explained, “I do use a lot of networks to distract myself, but also for things at the university.”
doxa.comunicación | nº 43, pp. 463-488 July-December of 2026Ana Catalina Quirós-Ramírez, María Antonia Echeverri-Echavarría and Gustavo Morales-GilISSN: 1696-019X / e-ISSN: 2386-3978| 473 In contrast, as previously mentioned, LinkedIn, the social network focused on networking and professional prole development, appeared as the platform with the lowest usage among their social networks in the questionnaire results.3.2.2. Fear of social judgmentIn line with the above, this dierence makes it possible to identify perceptions linked to the social pressure these young women experience. Centennial university women in Medellín express concern about being labeled as unproductive or as procrastinators, revealing the presence of a stigma associated with “wasting time” on social networks or consuming content considered “supercial” or “frivolous.” On this point, the interviews gathered the following testimonies:E2: “I feel that if you say you spend a lot of time on social networks, people see you as someone who doesn’t do anything.”E4: “ere’s this pressure to be productive all the time.”In sum, when responses were gathered through the anonymous questionnaire, the participants most often reported consuming content associated with entertainment and social interaction. By contrast, in the semistructured interviews, conducted in a context of direct identication, discourses emerged that highlighted academic and productive uses of technology.3.2.3. Negative feelings: the emotional coste interviews made it possible to identify perceptions related to the emotional impact that social networks generate for them. e participants noted that digital platforms produce negative feelings; specically, depression, anxiety, or constant pressure to maintain or construct an idealized lifestyle like the ones portrayed on those platforms. is is reected in testimonies such as that of E1, who stated, “Sometimes you compare yourself a lot, and that aects you,” and that of E3, who explained, “Because we’re always behind a screen, we don’t know how to interact with others, and that leads to many things such as anxiety and depression. It is complicated, and I feel that sometimes we do not use social networks in the right way.”ey also pointed out that there is a marked disconnection from real life, accompanied by a strong dependence on their direct interaction with social networks. On this point, E5 said, “You see perfect lives and feel pressure.” is nding shows that although they use technology intensively and rely on it for their socialization, the young women are aware of its negative emotional impact.Similarly, some participants reported that they try to avoid content that causes them anxiety, stress, or discomfort. When asked what types of content generates these feelings, most pointed mainly to the news. In this regard, E3 stated, “e news makes me anxious, so I prefer not to watch it so much.”Several interviewees acknowledge that they hold the belief that their personal lives would be much calmer if they did not have the possibility of accessing the internet, which allows, on the one hand, communication with others to be “of higher quality” as E3 indicated and, on the other, to take full advantage of other activities. In this regard, E1 said, “For example, I used to enjoy a movie more without any distractions.”e testimonies also revealed concerns related to the personal image they project on social networks. In other words, the interviews showed a disjunction between their actual use of these platforms (primarily for entertainment) and the image they
474 | nº 43, pp. 463-488 | July-December of 2026Incidental consumption and social validation: information practices of centennial university women in Medellín on social...ISSN: 1696-019X / e-ISSN: 2386-3978doxa.comunicaciónwish to project (a productive use). For this reason, E2 stated, “I am more careful about what I post,” and E1 remarked, “I think a lot before uploading something because it stays there.”3.2.4. Hybrid socializatione ndings suggest that the young participants engage in a form of hybrid socialization. Although they use technology intensively to communicate, they make clear distinctions according to the type of relationship they have with their interlocutors. In particular, they all agree that they prefer face-to-face interaction with family and close friends, associating it with more authentic and meaningful relationships.For example, E3 noted that “facetoface communication creates a greater sense of closeness.” Similarly, E5 expressed that “I feel that I prefer inperson interaction when you already have a relationship, a real bond with that person.” In contrast, they consider technologymediated communication to be more functional or practical and more oriented toward academic or workrelated settings, or toward less close contacts, without fullling the same aective role as direct, inperson interaction.3.2.5. Topics that truly matter to themBeyond the dierences in how they use digital platforms or the types of content they prioritize, the study made it possible to identify the topics that generate the greatest interest among Centennial university women in Medellín. Participants expressed a strong connection to educational and learning-related content, which aligns with their status as university students. In this regard, E5 noted, “I like to follow accounts that talk about important things or that teach something.”However, the most frequently mentioned and emotionally charged interest is linked to social causes and collective well-being, including issues related to gender equality. Regarding equality and inclusion, the interviews showed that they consider themselves “open-minded.” In this sense, they view themselves as an open and inclusive generation that is receptive to dierences.At the same time, mental health occupies an increasingly prominent place in their daily interests and is discussed openly and naturally. e interviews show a critical reection on the emotional eects of the digital environment; as E1 pointed out, social networks can build “an imaginary of life that is very dicult to lead,” which generates comparative pressures and personal demands.ere was also a moderate interest in staying informed about current aairs, a concept they associate with content related to celebrities and pop culture. In addition, travel-related topics are consumed as aspirational references, linked to desired experiences.is thematic diversity reects an informed audience that is also emotionally connected to the causes, symbols, and concerns that shape their current stage of life.
doxa.comunicación | nº 43, pp. 463-488 July-December of 2026Ana Catalina Quirós-Ramírez, María Antonia Echeverri-Echavarría and Gustavo Morales-GilISSN: 1696-019X / e-ISSN: 2386-3978| 475 3.2.6. Formats and contente interviews and surveys showed that the young women feel more comfortable consuming audiovisual content that is brief and aligned with their personal interests. ey prefer agile, relatable formats that are easy to integrate into their daily routines, such as short clips, stories, and reels within the social media category, and short series within the audiovisual streaming category –formats they choose because they nd them useful, entertaining, or emotionally meaningful. To that eect, they respond positively to the rise in miniseries oered by the dierent streaming platforms.3.2.7. Seamless navigation across platformsAn important pattern revealed by the study is that Centennial university women in Medellín move organically across dierent categories and platforms. ey do not think in rigid compartments of technological categories nor draw sharp distinctions between types of content or platforms. In fact, as previously mentioned, the results show that they tend to understand all these platforms under the single concept of social networks. In this regard, E5 stated, “I think that everything you see on your phone and can share is like a social network; I don’t pay much attention to categories.”ey spend most of their time connected and switch instinctively between dierent applications and services according to their immediate needs. Each platform fullls a specic function at a given time, and they move among them naturally. Platforms are used based on their ability to entertain, inform, or support their academic life.Transversally, both the questionnaire and the interviews identied a pragmatic relationship with the digital. Along these lines, E1 stated, “I go from one application to another depending on what I need at the moment,” while E3 noted, “I use several networks a day; I look at one and then another.”3.3. Perception and circulation of information about current aairs in digital environments3.3.1. A moderate interest in newse questionnaire showed that about a quarter of participants use the platforms to keep up with news and events. is places information consumption in the middle of their priorities: more important than shopping or expressing opinions, yet signicantly less central than leisure, entertainment, or social life.Most participants noted that, although they do not seek out news directly, they do stay informed about what is happening through what they see, share, or comment on social networks. e desire to “stay in touch” and “nd out what’s going on” appears repeatedly as a central motivator.In this vein, news reaches them while they browse, watch videos, or interact with others, without necessarily involving an intentional search. On this point, E4 commented, “I don’t look for news, but it pops up while I’m watching other things.” Similarly, E2 noted, “You nd out because you see it in stories or because someone shares it.” In this way, a usage pattern emerges in which the connection to information is not necessarily intentional or mediadriven, but relational and contextual.
476 | nº 43, pp. 463-488 | July-December of 2026Incidental consumption and social validation: information practices of centennial university women in Medellín on social...ISSN: 1696-019X / e-ISSN: 2386-3978doxa.comunicaciónus, news consumption is transformed: it circulates in short, casual formats within an ecosystem where entertainment, learning, and personal ties shape how one stays informed. ereby, the relationship with current information is intermittent, emotionally regulated, and deeply mediated by anity with the person who shares it.3.3.2. The collapse of traditional authorityAnother nding identied in the study is that these young women do not regard traditional authority gures as authoritative. e interviews reect a high level of skepticism toward them. For example, E1 stated, “I don’t trust newscasts very much.” Similarly, E3 noted, “You don’t know what to believe, so you look at several things,” while E5 added, “I prefer to see what several people say before believing a media outlet.”Traditional media –newspapers, television newscasts, and informational radio programs– were rarely mentioned as sources of information. Ocial institutions, governments, and established organizations are received with deep skepticism. ey do not accept information simply because it comes from a recognized institutional source; and when that is the source of a claim, they validate it through their close circles or through other sources they already have mapped on social networks.Instead of resorting to traditional sources, young women seek to validate information through networks. eir verication method involves consulting multiple sources on the internet and social media, seeing what other users are saying, asking their digital community, and reaching conclusions based on a social consensus rather than on the institutional authority of the source.ese young women also noted that the level of detail with which information can be produced on social networks is not necessarily something that gives them peace of mind or a sense of security. However, when they search for or verify news, they turn –often in this order– to platforms such as TikTok and Instagram.3.3.3. Communities as filtering mechanismsCommunities or reference groups play a central role in how Centennials relate to information. ey are not only important; they are the main points of reference for acquiring and shaping their tastes, attitudes, and opinions.According to the testimonies, it was observed that the information is not validated by its institutional source, by the credibility of the media outlet that publishes it, or by the authority of the person who issues it. It is validated by the consensus of their digital community. If their friends, the inuencers they follow, or their close social circle are talking about something and consider it to be true, that carries more weight than an article in a well-known newspaper or a statement from an ocial institution, as they openly stated both in the interviews and in the questionnaire.Peer groups function as informational curators. Information arrives already ltered: “my friend shared this,” “I saw several people talking about this,” “it’s trending on my feed,” as they expressed in the interviews. As E2 explained, “If several people are sharing it, you already know it’s important.” E4 similarly noted, “I rst look at what my friends are saying.” Likewise, E1 stated that “if it’s trending, you assume it’s true.” Validation, therefore, is collective and horizontal, not vertical and institutional.
doxa.comunicación | nº 43, pp. 463-488 July-December of 2026Ana Catalina Quirós-Ramírez, María Antonia Echeverri-Echavarría and Gustavo Morales-GilISSN: 1696-019X / e-ISSN: 2386-3978| 477 4. Discussion and conclusionis study set out to analyze the main practices of digital and information consumption among Centennial university women in Medellín, focusing on three dimensions: the uses and preferences of digital devices and platforms; the content they consume in their everyday connection environments; and the ways they access, perceive, and circulate current information. Overall, the ndings align with trends previously identied in the specialized literature on the informational behavior of Generation Z or Centennials, while also revealing specic characteristics associated with Centennial university women in the context of Medellín.In relation to the rst objective aimed at describing the uses and preferences of digital devices and platforms, the study conrms, on the one hand, the centrality of the mobile phone as the main device in their daily lives (Arango Lozano, 2019; Vilanova y Ortega, 2017) and, on the other, reinforces that social networks are the main gateway to informational content among young people, progressively displacing traditional media (García Rivero et al., 2022; Marín-Dueñas y Simancas-González, 2019; Suárez-Álvarez y García-Jiménez, 2021). Youth media consumption is integrated in dynamics of entertainment, socialization, and informal learning, which generates hybrid environments where the boundaries between information and leisure are blurred, as noted by López Vidales and Gómez Rubio (2021) and Martín Cárdaba et al. (2024). Likewise, the results corroborate the presence of incidental information consumption, documented in recent research (Farias-Batlle et al., 2024; Ceballos-del-Cid et al., 2025), as well as its connection to the News Finds Me phenomenon described by Gil de Zúñiga and Cheng (2021), according to which people consider that they remain informed even without actively seeking news. In line with these approaches, participants access current events primarily through algorithmic ows integrated into their everyday digital routines.Regarding the second objective, focused on the content consumed, the ndings also align with studies that highlight the generational preference for short, visual, and emotionally meaningful formats, associated with the rise of micro-content and the so-called nanojournalism (Cortés Quesada et al., 2023; Díaz-Lucena y Vicente-Fernández, 2023). Information is thus incorporated into a personalized media diet, selected according to criteria of practical interest, identity anity, or emotional impact, consistent with what Pérez-Escoda and Pedrero (2021) propose.With regard to the third objective –analyzing how young women access, perceive, and share current information– the results show that the shift from traditional media to social networks does not merely represent a technological change, but rather a transformation in everyday practices of informational validation. In this sense, credibility tends to be constructed through symbolic proximity and relational anity with digital channels –including inuencers and online communities– rather than through the institutional legitimacy of the media outlet, in line with what CatalinaGarcía et al. (2021) and Martín Cárdaba et al. (2024) argue. Moreover, most young people belonging to this generation attribute little credibility to the news circulating online (FariasBatlle et al., 2024), a pattern that aligns with what was observed among the participants in this study. is nding is also consistent with Arango Lozano (2019), who contends that for this generation a single click is enough to access an immediate “truth,” a truth that can, in turn, be easily questioned or expanded upon by other content.In the same way, the emotional dimension of information consumption observed in the participants is articulated with what was proposed by Owen et al. (2018) regarding the structuring role of emotions in the digital experience of this generation and
478 | nº 43, pp. 463-488 | July-December of 2026Incidental consumption and social validation: information practices of centennial university women in Medellín on social...ISSN: 1696-019X / e-ISSN: 2386-3978doxa.comunicacióntheir awareness of the negative eects of excessive use of technology (Peredy et al., 2024). is behavior is also consistent with research that links the intensive use of social networks with high levels of anxiety in young people, particularly women (Gómez Campos et al., 2021). However, beyond the convergences identied with previous literature, the results introduce relevant dierential contributions. Overall, the ndings suggest that for the participating Centennial university women, news consumption is not conceived as an autonomous practice aimed exclusively at updating news, but as an activity integrated into their daily management of personal well-being, identity, and social relations within the digital environments in which they interact.In this sense, one of the main contributions of the study is along the lines of emotional regulation as an organizing principle of information consumption. Beyond conrming the presence of emotions in the digital experience, the participants develop practices of emotional self-management and self-regulation of their informational exposure. ey select, avoid, or limit content and connection times according to the perceived impact on their personal well-being or sense of balance.In a complementary way, the results show that the young women do not perceive the dierent digital platforms as dierentiated spaces according to their communicative function but rather as an integrated ecosystem of daily interaction in which information, entertainment, and socialization are experienced continuously, without establishing clear technological categories. Consequently, the traditional boundaries between information consumption and digital leisure are also diluted, reshaping the ways in which current events are perceived within the digital space.Likewise, the coexistence of intensive social media use and low levels of public expressive participation becomes evident. In contrast to the academic narrative that characterizes this generation as predominantly digital prosumers (Bertuzzi, 2021; Martín et al., 2024), most participants adopt positions of active observation on social networks: they consume, evaluate, and occasionally share content, but rarely produce their own information or express opinions on public matters. is nding suggests that the digital participation of young women does not necessarily translate into discursive visibility; rather, it may take the form of more silent and selective modes of engagement.Along the same lines, the study shows that information interest is mainly activated in the face of issues connected to personal experiences and social identities –particularly mental health, gender equality, and well-being. is indicates that informational relevance is built from experiential proximity rather than from the traditional hierarchy of the media agenda.A particularly distinctive nding lies in the expansion of the meaning attributed to current information. For the participants, it is not restricted to following political, economic, or institutional news; rather, it incorporates content linked to personal interests, pop culture, digital trends, and aspirational references associated with lifestyles, well-being, or professional projection. In this way, the present is congured as a repertoire of socially signicant content based on its daily usefulness and identity-based anity.Finally, the study shows that socalled hybrid socialization involves a functional and aective dierentiation in the use of communication channels. While facetoface interaction remains associated with meaningful bonds and emotional closeness, communication mediated by digital technologies takes on a primarily practical character oriented toward everyday coordination, academic activity, or interaction with less close contacts. is nding suggests that intensive technology use
doxa.comunicación | nº 43, pp. 463-488 July-December of 2026Ana Catalina Quirós-Ramírez, María Antonia Echeverri-Echavarría and Gustavo Morales-GilISSN: 1696-019X / e-ISSN: 2386-3978| 479 does not replace facetoface interaction; rather, it redistributes relational functions according to the type of bond; a logic that is also reected in the criteria of informational trust observed among the participants.In sum, this study portrays young women who are informed in their own way, following logics characteristic of contemporary digital environments: permanently connected yet selective in their exposure; skeptical of traditional sources, yet emotionally invested in the content they deem relevant; and critical, though not particularly inclined toward public participation. eir practices highlight contrasts that are emblematic of the current moment: between informational overabundance and the need to curate content; between distrust of institutional channels and the trust placed in the symbolic proximity of their communities; between the desire for authenticity and the inevitable identity performance that unfolds on social media.From an applied perspective, the ndings reinforce the need to rethink media literacy and digital education strategies, proposed in other studies such as that of Kirscher and De Bruyckere (2017), and to orient them not only toward the development of information-verication skills, but also toward the critical and healthy management of media exposure, as highlighted by Santander-Salmon and Rodríguez-Ayala (2024).Nevertheless, the results should be interpreted in light of the design limitations of the study. First, the research focuses on university women residing in Medellín, and therefore its conclusions cannot be generalized to the entire Centennial Generation or to other sociocultural contexts. Second, the number of interviews constitutes a limitation in terms of the variety of perspectives and experiences captured, which is consistent with the descriptive and exploratory nature of the study. In line with this, the data are based on practices and perceptions reported by the participants; consequently, the ndings reect the meanings these young women attribute to their informational consumption from their subjective experience, rather than corresponding to digitally observed or measured behaviors in real navigation contexts.Finally, it should be considered that the practices observed are conditioned by the digital context in place during the period of study, meaning that the identied patterns may shift as predominant platforms, recommendation algorithms, or forms of online social interaction evolve.Building on these considerations, future research could broaden the analysis through comparative designs that incorporate other population groups, diverse territorial contexts, or mixed methodologies that allow declared discourses to be contrasted with observable digital behaviors. Also, future studies could delve deeper into the contemporary redenition of the concept of current information among young audiences, exploring how content related to wellbeing, digital culture, or personal aspirations blurs the boundaries between information, entertainment, and everyday experience. Finally, there is an opportunity to examine these dynamics comparatively from gender and intersectional perspectives in order to understand how dierent modes of trust, participation, and informational management are congured in digital environments, which contributes to rethinking traditional models of informational communication in changing sociotechological contexts.5. Acknowledgementsis article was translated into English by Bridget Flynn, to whom we are grateful for her work.
480 | nº 43, pp. 463-488 | July-December of 2026Incidental consumption and social validation: information practices of centennial university women in Medellín on social...ISSN: 1696-019X / e-ISSN: 2386-3978doxa.comunicación6. ContributionsName and surnameConception and design of the workAna Catalina Quirós-Ramírez y Maria Antonia Echeverri-EchavarríaMethodologyAna Catalina Quirós-Ramírez, Maria Antonia Echeverri-Echavarría y Gustavo Morales-GilData collection and analysisAna Catalina Quirós-Ramírez y Maria Antonia Echeverri-EchavarríaDiscussion and conclusionsAna Catalina Quirós-Ramírez y Gustavo Morales-GilDrafting, formatting, version review and approvalAna Catalina Quirós-Ramírez y Gustavo Morales-Gil7. Conict of intereste authors declare that there is no conict of interest contained in this article.8. Bibliographic referencesAlcaldía de Medellín. (2024). Medellín distrito inteligente. https://www.medellin.gov.co/es/secretaria-de-innovacion-digital/medellin-inteligenteAlcaldía de Medellín. (2025, 22 de mayo). Medellín registra un crecimiento del 41 % en el Índice Global de Ecosistemas de Startups. https://www.medellin.gov.co/es/sala-de-prensa/noticias/medellin-registra-un-crecimiento-del-41-en-el-indice-global-de-ecosistemas-de-startupsArango Lozano, C. A. (2019). 1218 centennials: Generación sin etiquetas. Editorial Universidad de Bogotá Jorge Tadeo Lozano. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12010/21669Bauman, Z. (2015). Modernidad líquida. Fondo de Cultura Económica. https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/libro?codigo=361423Bertuzzi, M. F. (2021). Centennials en la universidad: prosumidores de contenidos en el aula. Cuadernos del Centro de Estudios de Diseño y Comunicación, 134, 19–30. https://doi.org/10.18682/cdc.vi134.5020Braun, V., y Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oaCatalina-García, B., García-Jiménez, A., y Paniagua-Santamaría, P. (2021). Percepción del consumo de noticias en línea y de las prácticas relacionadas a ellas por parte de los jóvenes de la Comunidad de Madrid (España). Cuadernos.info, 50, 22–44. https://doi.org/10.7764/cdi.50.27513

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]


doxa.comunicación | nº 43, pp. 463-488 July-December of 2026Ana Catalina Quirós-Ramírez, María Antonia Echeverri-Echavarría and Gustavo Morales-GilISSN: 1696-019X / e-ISSN: 2386-3978| 481 Ceballos-del-Cid, Y., Gómez-Calderón, B., y Córdoba-Cabús, A. (2025). Redes sociales y hábitos de consumo informativo de los jóvenes españoles: un análisis diacrónico (2021–2023). Revista Mediterránea de Comunicación, 16(1), e28010. https://doi.org/10.14198/MEDCOM.28010Cortés Quesada, J. A., Barceló Ugarte, T., y Fuentes Cortina, G. (2023). El consumo audiovisual de los Millennials y la Generación Z: preferencia por los contenidos snackables. Doxa Comunicación, 36, 303–320. https://doi.org/10.31921/doxacom.n36a1687Díaz-Lucena, A., y Vicente-Fernández, P. (2023). Generación Z y consumo de noticias: el canal de TikTok ac2ality. REDMARKA. Revista de Marketing Aplicado, 27(2), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.17979/redma.2023.27.2.9951Farias-Batlle, P., Córdoba-Cabús, A., y Gómez-Calderón, B. (2024). Jóvenes y redes sociales: hábitos de consumo informativo y credibilidad de las noticias. Comunicar, 32(78), 155–165. https://doi.org/10.58262/V32I78.13Fernández-Muñoz, C., Rubio-Moraga, Á. L., y Álvarez-Rivas, D. (2024). La Generación Z frente a la desinformación: percepciones y prácticas en la era digital. Estudios sobre el Mensaje Periodístico, 30(3), 517–529. https://doi.org/10.5209/emp.96511 Gallego Gómez, C., Tapia López, A., y Márquez García, J. A. (2024). Determining factors for the use of social networks as information platforms by Generation Z. ESIC Market, 55(2), e359. https://doi.org/10.7200/esicm.55.359Ganzabal Learreta, M., Meso Ayerdi, K., Pérez Dasilva, J., y Mendiguren Galdospin, T. (2021). e incidence of age and gender on social media usage habits in the journalism profession. Revista Latina de Comunicación Social, 79, 91–116. https://doi.org/10.4185/RLCS-2021-1525García Rivero, A., Martínez Estrella, E. C., y Bonales Daimiel, G. (2022). TikTok y Twitch: nuevos medios y fórmulas para impactar en la Generación Z. ICONO14, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.7195/ri14.v20i1.1770 Garitaonandia, C., Karrera-Xuarros, I., Jiménez-Iglesias, E., y Larrañaga, N. (2020). Menores conectados y riesgos online: contenidos inadecuados, uso inapropiado de la información y uso excesivo de internet. Profesional de la Información, 29(4), e290436. https://doi.org/10.3145/epi.2020.jul.36Gil de Zúñiga, H., y Cheng, Z. (2021). Origin and evolution of the News Finds Me perception. Profesional de la Información, 30(3), e300321. https://doi.org/10.3145/epi.2021.may.21Gil Ramírez, M., y Gómez de Travesedo Rojas, R. (2018). Uso del smartphone en el periodismo actual: ¿Hacia un nuevo modelo mediático? Estudio de caso del contexto malagueño. Ámbitos. Revista Internacional de Comunicación, (41), 5–21. https://doi.org/10.12795/Ambitos.2018.i41.01Giraldo-Luque, S., Tejedor, S., y Carniel-Bugs, R. (2017). Motivaciones de uso de las redes sociales de los estudiantes de periodismo de América Latina y España. Informação & Sociedade, 27(3), 191–203. https://doi.org/10.22478/UFPB.1809-4783.2017V27N3.34691 Gómez Campos, R., Urra Albornoz, C., Vidal Espinoza, R., Riveros, J., Opazo, O., Rivera Portugal, M., Urzúa Alul, L., Cossio Bolaños, M., y Méndez Cornejo, J. (2021). Uso de redes sociales, ansiedad, depresión e indicadores de adiposidad corporal en adolescentes. Salud(i)Ciencia, 24(6), 327–333. https://www.scielo.org.ar/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1667-89902021000200327

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]


482 | nº 43, pp. 463-488 | July-December of 2026Incidental consumption and social validation: information practices of centennial university women in Medellín on social...ISSN: 1696-019X / e-ISSN: 2386-3978doxa.comunicaciónGómez de Travesedo Rojas, R., y Gil Ramírez, M. (2020). Generación Z y consumo de información política: entre la televisión y los nuevos formatos mediáticos. Ámbitos. Revista Internacional de Comunicación, (30), 209–229. https://doi.org/10.12795/Ambitos.2020.i50.05Hernández-Sampieri, R., Fernández-Collado, C., y Baptista Lucio, P. (2014). Metodología de la investigación (6.ª ed.). McGraw-Hill.Hernández-Sampieri, R., y Mendoza Torres, C. P. (2018). Metodología de la investigación: Las rutas cuantitativa, cualitativa y mixta. McGraw-Hill.IAB Spain. (2023). Estudio anual de redes sociales 2023. https://iabspain.es/estudio/estudio-de-redes-sociales-2023/ Kantar. (2018). Centennials a los 21. https://www.kantar.com/es/inspiracion/sociedad/los-millennials-dejan-paso-a-los-centennials Katz, E., Blumler, J. G., y Gurevitch, M. (1973). Uses and gratications research. e Public Opinion Quarterly, 37(4), 509–523. https://doi.org/10.1086/268109Kirscher, P. A., y De Bruyckere, P. (2017). e myths of the digital native and the multitasker. Teaching and Teacher Education, 67, 135–142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2017.06.001Lobera, J., y Rubio, R. (2015). Nativos digitales: ¿hacia una nueva participación política? Revista de Estudios de Juventud, 108, 145–160. https://www.injuve.es/sites/default/les/2017/46/publicaciones/revista108_10.pdfLópez Vidales, N., y Gómez Rubio, L. (2021). Tendencias de cambio en el comportamiento juvenil ante los media: Millennials vs. Generación Z. Estudios sobre el Mensaje Periodístico, 27(2), 543–552. https://doi.org/10.5209/esmp.70170Luo, J. (2025). Consumption behaviors of Generation Z in the global creative industries. Economics and Management Innovation, 2(5), 66–71. https://www.gbspress.com/index.php/EMI/article/view/449 Marín-Dueñas, P. P., y Simancas-González, E. (2019). Los universitarios millennials: uso de redes sociales y relación con las marcas. Ámbitos. Revista Internacional de Comunicación, (46), 90–107. https://doi.org/10.12795/Ambitos.2019.i46.06Martín, L. R., Mañas Viniegra, L., y Núñez Gómez, P. (2024). Advertising and Brand Discourse aimed at Generation Z. VISUAL Review, 16(6), 101–112. https://doi.org/10.5294/vis.2024.16.6.8Martín-Cárdaba, M. Á., Lafuente-Pérez, P., Durán-Vilches, M., y Solano-Altaba, M. (2024). Estereotipos de género y redes sociales: consumo de contenido generado por inuencers entre los preadolescentes y adolescentes. Doxa Comunicación. Revista Interdisciplinar de Estudios de Comunicación y Ciencias Sociales, (38), 81–97. https://doi.org/10.31921/doxacom.n38a2034Martínez-Estrella, E. C., Samacá-Salamanca, E., García-Rivero, A., y Cifuentes-Ambra, C. (2023). Generation Z in Chile, Colombia, México, and Panama. Profesional de la Información, 32(2), e320218. https://doi.org/10.3145/epi.2023.mar.18Marugán Solís, F., y Martín Critikián, D. (2023). Social media and Generation Z. Doxa Comunicación, 36, 381–399. https://doi.org/10.31921/doxacom.n36a1707Marwick, A. E., y boyd, d. (2011). I tweet honestly, I tweet passionately. New Media & Society, 13(1), 114–133. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444810365313Owen, S., Napoli, C., y Shin, J. (2018). La ecuación Generación Z [Informe de WGSN]. https://www.wgsn.com/insight/article/84668

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]


doxa.comunicación | nº 43, pp. 463-488 July-December of 2026Ana Catalina Quirós-Ramírez, María Antonia Echeverri-Echavarría and Gustavo Morales-GilISSN: 1696-019X / e-ISSN: 2386-3978| 483 Peña-Fernández, S., Larrondo-Ureta, A., y Morales-I-gras, J. (2022). Current aairs on TikTok. Profesional de la Información, 31(1), e310106. https://doi.org/10.3145/epi.2022.ene.06Peredy, Z., Vigh, L.(2024). Analysing Generation Z communication attitudes, values and norms. Acta Periodica, 30, 4–19. https://doi.org/10.47273/AP.2024.30.4-19Pérez-Escoda, A., y Pedrero Esteban, L. M. (2021). Retos del periodismo frente a las redes sociales, las fake news y la desconanza de la Generación Z. Revista Latina de Comunicación Social, 79, 67–85. https://doi.org/10.4185/RLCS-2021-1519Sánchez Riaño, V., Arango Lozano, C. A., y Sojo-Gómez, J. R. (2022). Centennials: La búsqueda del ser en un universo digital. IROCAMM, 5(1), 9–20. https://doi.org/10.12795/IROCAMM.2021.v05.i01.01Santander-Salmon, E. S., y Rodríguez-Ayala, A. E. (2024). Alfabetización mediática y competencias digitales en adolescentes. Multidisciplinary Collaborative Journal, 2(2), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.70881/mcj/v2/n2/32Suárez-Álvarez, R., y García-Jiménez, A. (2021). Investigación del comportamiento de menores y jóvenes en las redes sociales. Doxa Comunicación, 32, 95–113. https://doi.org/10.31921/doxacom.n32a5Suárez-Álvarez, R., García-Jiménez, A., y Catalina-García, B. (2023). Entendiendo las preferencias y motivaciones de los jóvenes para seguir a inuencers. Fonseca, Journal of Communication, 27, 215–233. https://doi.org/10.48047/fjc.27.01.13Vilanova, N., y Ortega, I. (2017). Generación Z: Todo lo que necesitas saber sobre los jóvenes que han dejado viejos a los millennials. Plataforma Editorial.Suárez-Álvarez, R., García-Jiménez, A., y Catalina-García, B. (2023). Entendiendo las preferencias y motivaciones de los jóvenes para seguir a inuencers. Fonseca, Journal of Communication, 27, 215–233. https://doi.org/10.48047/fjc.27.01.13Vilanova, N., y Ortega, I. (2017). Generación Z: Todo lo que necesitas saber sobre los jóvenes que han dejado viejos a los millennials. Plataforma Editorial.

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]

[Enlace de URL / hc (has AS)]


484 | nº 43, pp. 463-488 | July-December of 2026Incidental consumption and social validation: information practices of centennial university women in Medellín on social...ISSN: 1696-019X / e-ISSN: 2386-3978doxa.comunicación6. AppendicesAPPENDIX AOnline QuestionnaireDigital and information consumption among Centennial university women in MedellínPurpose of the instrumente purpose of the questionnaire is to conduct an initial exploratory mapping of digital use practices, content consumption, and relationships with current information among Centennial university women. e results informed the selection of participants and the development of the semistructured interview guide.1. General information• Age• Academic program• Semester completed• Do you currently reside in Medellín? ▶Yes ▶No2. Access and use of digital devices• What devices do you use most frequently? ▶Mobile phone or smartphone ▶Laptop ▶Tablet ▶Desktop computer ▶Other• Which device do you mainly use to connect to the Internet?• What are the reasons for using your preferred device?• Approximately how many hours a day do you stay connected to the Internet?3. Digital platforms used• Which technological categories do you usually use? (Multiple answers allowed) ▶Social networks ▶Instant messaging
doxa.comunicación | nº 43, pp. 463-488 July-December of 2026Ana Catalina Quirós-Ramírez, María Antonia Echeverri-Echavarría and Gustavo Morales-GilISSN: 1696-019X / e-ISSN: 2386-3978| 485 ▶Streaming platforms ▶Music streaming ▶Live streaming ▶Video games ▶Email ▶Video chat ▶Other• Which technological category is your preferred one, and which platform within that category do you prefer?• What are the reasons you use that category the most? (Multiple answers allowed) ▶Study or learning ▶Work or networking ▶Social or family life ▶Leisure and entertainment ▶Shopping ▶Staying up to date with news and events ▶To express my opinion ▶Other (please specify) ▶None• Which digital platforms or apps do you usually use within social networks?• Which digital platforms or apps do you usually use within instant messaging?• Which digital platforms or apps do you usually use within streaming platforms?• Which digital platforms or apps do you usually use within music streaming?• Which digital platforms or apps do you usually use within live streaming or live broadcasts?• Of the platforms you use, which ones do you consider your main platforms? Why?• What is the reason you use those platforms the most?• At what times of day do you tend to connect most frequently?
486 | nº 43, pp. 463-488 | July-December of 2026Incidental consumption and social validation: information practices of centennial university women in Medellín on social...ISSN: 1696-019X / e-ISSN: 2386-3978doxa.comunicación4. Content consumed• What types of content do you most frequently consume on social networks? (Multiple answers allowed) ▶Entertainment ▶Pop culture ▶Fashion and lifestyle ▶Education or learning ▶Humor ▶Opinion ▶Information or news ▶Digital trends ▶Well-being or mental health ▶Aspirational content ▶Other• How do you usually come across this content? ▶Direct search ▶Algorithmic recommendations ▶Posts from people I follow ▶Content shared by friends ▶Trends or virality• Do you usually get information about current events through digital platforms? ▶Frequently ▶Sometimes ▶Rarely ▶Never
doxa.comunicación | nº 43, pp. 463-488 July-December of 2026Ana Catalina Quirós-Ramírez, María Antonia Echeverri-Echavarría and Gustavo Morales-GilISSN: 1696-019X / e-ISSN: 2386-3978| 487 APPENDIX BSemi-structured interview guideDigital and information consumption among Centennial university women in MedellínPurposee interview aims to deepen and interpret the digital and information consumption practices previously identied through the online questionnaire, exploring meanings, perceptions, and criteria for engaging with information in everyday digital environments.General information• Age• Academic program• Type of institution: ▶Public ▶Private1. Everyday use of digital environments• Tell me what a normal day looks like for you in terms of your use of your phone or the internet.• Which platforms do you use the most, and what do you mainly use them for?• Which technological category is your preferred one, and which platform within that category do you prefer?• Do you feel that some platforms serve different functions in your daily life?• Do you think that sharing information online also fulfills a social or interactional function with others?• Is it easier to communicate through technological media or in person?2. Content and consumption experiences• What types of content do you tend to consume most frequently?• Are there types of content that feel more closely aligned with your personal interests or aspirations?• How do you decide to keep watching or interacting with a piece of content?• At what times of day are you most active on platforms?
488 | nº 43, pp. 463-488 | July-December of 2026Incidental consumption and social validation: information practices of centennial university women in Medellín on social...ISSN: 1696-019X / e-ISSN: 2386-3978doxa.comunicación3. Encounter with information about current aairs• When you use social networks, do you come across information or news without looking for it?• What do you understand as information about current affairs?• Which topics appear most frequently for you?4. Credibility and informational trust• How do you decide whether information you see is trustworthy?• Does the person who shares the information influence whether you trust it?• Do you trust informational media, influencers, or people close to you more? Why?5. Circulation and social validation• In what situations do you decide to share information?• Do you discuss or compare information with friends or digital communities?• Do you feel that social networks help validate or question information?7. Personal meaning of digital information• What role do you think information plays today within your experience on social networks?• Would you say that staying informed is part of your daily routine?