Incidental consumption and social validation: Information practices of centennial women in Medellín on social media

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31921/doxacom.3484

Keywords:

Generation Z; Centennial women; Incidental news consumption; Social media; Media Trust

Abstract

This article examines the digital news practices of centennial women in Medellín, Colombia, with an emphasis on their engagement with current information circulating on social media. Employing a qualitative, descriptive, and exploratory approach, the study integrates data from an online questionnaire (n = 443) and semi-structured interviews (n = 5). The analysis addresses three dimensions: the use of digital devices and platforms, content consumption, and perceptions of current information. The findings show that these young women access news incidentally and in fragmented ways, regulating their exposure to avoid stress and anxiety. The study identifies a pronounced distrust of, and rejection toward, traditional news sources, with credibility instead placed in the consensus of their digital communities and affective ties. A tension also emerges between their discourse on the productive use of technology and their actual practices, which are primarily oriented toward leisure, with most participants acting as passive consumers. Instagram and TikTok operate as their main informational environments, with social causes—particularly gender equity—representing the thematic area of greatest engagement. Overall, the findings contribute to understanding how new audiences are reshaping informational authority, privileging horizontal social validation over traditional, vertical models.

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Author Biographies

  • Ana Catalina Quirós-Ramírez, PhD., Universidad de Medellín

    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 Holográfico 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 Effie Awards Colombia. Her most recent co-authored publication is “A differential approach to the analysis of gender campaigns in El Tiempo, Colombia”, published in Cuadernos.Info.

  • Maria Antonia Echeverri Echavarría, DENICOLÁS/TBWA. Bogotá, Colombia

    She holds degrees in Advertising Graphic Communication and Audiovisual Communication from the University of Medellín (Colombia). She is a researcher affiliated with the Holográfico 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 “Theoretical foundations for the construction of consumer profiles: 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).

  • Mg. Gustavo Morales-Gil, UdeM

    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 Effie Awards Colombia. His most recent publication is “Accounting and sustainability: toward an organizational culture based on legitimacy”, published by McGraw Hill.

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Published

01-07-2026

Issue

Section

CfP Consumption of current affairs information. New habits of audiences regarding the news

How to Cite

Quirós-Ramírez, A. C., Echeverri Echavarría, M. A. ., & Morales-Gil, G. . (2026). Incidental consumption and social validation: Information practices of centennial women in Medellín on social media. Doxa Comunicación. Interdisciplinary Journal of Communication Studies and Social Sciences, 43. https://doi.org/10.31921/doxacom.3484
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