Is gaming set to take over people’s free time? What are the limits of virtual reality? How have media producers adapted to pandemic-inspired needs? In this part of the 2021 Expert Outlook, we speak to four experts about how people are finding both solace and escapism through screens.

Young people are consuming the news in vastly different ways to generations before them, but news brands still don’t know how to speak to them. How can young people get the information they need to be informed citizens and is it time to rethink what news means for the next generation?

The pitch of anti-press sentiment is the most fevered it’s been, with an Edelman report showing the highest-ever percentage of American distrust in the media. As polarizing disputes over COVID-19 and elections continue, people are continuing to lose faith in the notion of objectivity.

Research shows that a quarter of Democrats and Republicans in the US exclusively get news from outlets that share their political views. The findings reinforce how people seek out information environments that align with their beliefs, emphasizing the importance of diverse media diets.