{"id":1846,"date":"2026-07-19T22:14:21","date_gmt":"2026-07-19T22:14:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/meedia.sscw.ee\/?p=1846"},"modified":"2026-07-20T15:37:46","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T15:37:46","slug":"what-are-young-people-in-estonia-listening-to-and-watching-today","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/meedia.sscw.ee\/en\/2026\/07\/19\/what-are-young-people-in-estonia-listening-to-and-watching-today\/","title":{"rendered":"What Are Young People in Estonia Listening to and Watching Today?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Estonia has long been considered one of the most digitally advanced countries in Europe. Nearly all public services are available online, schools actively use digital platforms, and young people grow up in an environment where the internet is not an addition to life but a natural part of it. This directly influences the media they consume, the sources they trust, and the way they access information.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>From Television to Digital Platforms<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For most young people in Estonia, television is no longer the primary source of information and entertainment. Instead, they use YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Spotify, and various streaming services on a daily basis.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One particularly notable trend is the growing popularity of video podcasts. Young people prefer not only to listen to conversations but also to see the hosts, guests, and discussions. As a result, YouTube has effectively become the largest podcast platform for Generation Z.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the same time, many young Estonians are fluent in multiple languages-Estonian, English, and often Russian. This allows them to consume both local and international content with ease.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>International Podcasts Lead the Way<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you ask students at universities in Tallinn or Tartu which podcasts they listen to most often, several names consistently appear:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Diary of a CEO<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lex Fridman Podcast<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Huberman Lab<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Modern Wisdom<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Joe Rogan Experience<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The reason for their popularity is simple: these podcasts offer long-form, in-depth conversations about technology, psychology, business, health, and the future of society. Young people are looking not only for entertainment but also for knowledge that can be applied to their studies and careers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Interest in Technology and Artificial Intelligence<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One distinctive feature of Estonia is the strong interest young people have in technology. The country is known for its startup ecosystem and digital innovations, and the success of companies such as Skype and Bolt has reinforced the idea that a career in the technology sector can be both accessible and rewarding.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a result, podcasts and YouTube channels covering the following topics are especially popular:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Artificial intelligence<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Programming and software development<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Startups and innovation<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cybersecurity<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Entrepreneurship<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For many young Estonians, online content serves as a form of additional education beyond school and university.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>TikTok as the Main Source of Trends<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite the popularity of long-form podcasts, TikTok is the platform that increasingly shapes trends and public discussions among young people. Through short videos, teenagers and young adults discover new musicians, social initiatives, technological developments, and even political events.<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In Estonia, it is becoming increasingly common for a story to gain traction on TikTok before it is discussed by traditional media outlets. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This trend creates new challenges related to information verification and media literacy. As a result, schools, youth organizations, and media experts are placing greater emphasis on the importance of critically evaluating content found on social media platforms.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Young People Want to Talk About Security and the Future<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recent global developments have led to a growing interest in security, international politics, and the future of Europe. Young people increasingly follow discussions about NATO, cybersecurity, and societal resilience.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, their approach differs from that of older generations. Rather than relying on traditional news broadcasts, young people prefer podcasts, YouTube interviews, and explanatory videos that present complex topics in a more accessible format.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Local Content Still Matters<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although international creators dominate much of the media landscape, interest in local content remains strong. Young people actively follow Estonian musicians, bloggers, entrepreneurs, and public figures.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stories about successful young entrepreneurs, discussions about Estonia\u2019s future, career opportunities, sustainability, and environmental issues are particularly popular.<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Today\u2019s young people in Estonia live in two information spaces simultaneously: the global and the local. They listen to international thought leaders, follow worldwide trends, and actively embrace digital technologies. At the same time, they remain interested in the development of their own country, issues of security, education, and a sustainable future.<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This combination makes Estonian youth one of the most digitally engaged and internationally oriented groups in Europe. For them, podcasts and video content are no longer just forms of entertainment-they have become important tools for learning, self-development, and active participation in society.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><em><strong>Author: Christelle Mariely Rammul, Active Youth<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Estonia has long been considered one of the most digitally advanced countries in Europe. Nearly all public services are available online, schools actively use digital platforms, and young people grow up in an environment where the internet is not an addition to life but a natural part of it. This directly influences the media they [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1857,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18,67],"tags":[90,91,93,86,85,92,87,94,89,88],"class_list":["post-1846","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","category-opinion","tag-artificial-intelligence","tag-cybersecurity","tag-digital-education","tag-digital-media","tag-estonian-youth","tag-media-literacy","tag-podcasts","tag-societal-resilience","tag-tiktok","tag-youtube"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/meedia.sscw.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1846","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/meedia.sscw.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/meedia.sscw.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meedia.sscw.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meedia.sscw.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1846"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/meedia.sscw.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1846\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1847,"href":"https:\/\/meedia.sscw.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1846\/revisions\/1847"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meedia.sscw.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1857"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/meedia.sscw.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1846"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meedia.sscw.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1846"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meedia.sscw.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1846"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}