Age-Related Differences in Information Gathering among Nursing Students: Implications for Nursing Education

Background: For nursing students, gathering social information is essential for understanding healthcare and social issues and developing critical thinking and decision-making skills. However, the choice of information sources varies by age and individual habits. With the widespread use of the internet, there are notable differences between younger and older generations in their reliance on the internet versus traditional media sources like newspapers and television. Given the wide age range and diverse backgrounds of nursing students, understanding generational differences in information-gathering methods is important for implementing effective education. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify how nursing students in different age groups obtain social information and to examine media usage trends by age group. Additionally, we aim to use the findings to provide insights into effective information dissemination methods in nursing education. Results: The results showed that nursing students in their teens to forties, regardless of gender, primarily relied on the internet as their main information source, with television playing a secondary role. In contrast, students in their fifties tended to obtain information more often from newspapers and television than from the internet. This highlights an age-related difference in preferred information sources, with older students showing a greater reliance on traditional media. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that nursing students use different information-gathering methods based on their age, suggesting a need to custo-mize information dissemination strategies in nursing education. Digital media may be more effective for younger students, while traditional media or printed materials might better serve older students. Educational institutions should consider these generational differences in media usage and adopt strategies that meet the diverse needs of their student populations.