Why isn't the Generation Y interested in the news?

For the vast majority of those in the Generation X age range, the news is a constant theme in their lives. Whether politics or current affairs are involved, these things resonate with this demographic for a number of reasons.

Tax, elections and politics, combined with political persuasion, all the way through to consumer choices of technology and ordinary household goods. All of these things appear to take precedent with the older sets than the younger generation, even though today's students is the most politically sensitive demographic there is.

If politics is so intrinsic to our very being, why don't students engage with traditional, broadcast and interactive news services, seemingly as much as our parents?

"It's depressing" or, "it's boring". On both counts it isn't, but it is down to the delivery of the services.

It is not uncommon for the Generation Y, as the biggest social media demographic on the charts, to find news that resonates to them, through no other than social media itself.

Generation Y social media users are prolific 'linkers'; sharing and disseminating things around the web that interest them; not necessarily through services like Digg, Reddit and other social bookmarking sites, but through Facebook and Twitter.

It isn't that news is not viewed by younger readers, but that the means to access breaking news has evolved to be a sociable process.

A linker provides something they find passionate, but passion is relative. Social networking spurs on the spread of news and the media.

Instead of the news being available on twenty-four hour rolling broadcasts, print newspapers and news websites, my theory is that the news needs to be delivered to the younger user in a way it can be engaging and on-demand.

Do you agree? Should news be more invested in social media as a content delivery platform?