"iHeart Media, whose declared mission is "To give everyone in America a friend ... anytime, anywhere," has released AudioCon 2025: The Human Consumer, a study of consumer listening. iHeart observes an annual drumbeat of research of which this study is a part, preceded by the New American Consumer (2023) and The Ignored Consumer (2024). The motivating principle of the research is to strengthen the relationship between America's largest radio network and its listeners. Before getting to the numbers, iHeart declares that nine out of 10 Americans listen to its broadcast radio stations."
""They know they're caught in algorithmic bubbles" We enjoy the idea of bubbling algorithms, but iHeart's observation is sternly critical of the internet's underlying algorithmic workings. A few research findings: 92% use social media, but 2/3 of consumers say social media makes them feel worse and more disconnected than before. Seven of 10 respondents hate clickbait but still fall for it. Seventy percent of users feel they've "lost control" of their feed content. Along with those discontents, consumers no longer "inherently trust" the information they're fed. Most people say media only reflects what they already believe, and about the same number think that neutrality is impossible. Most respondents said they know algorithms "shape their lives.""
iHeart Media positions its mission as giving everyone a friend anytime, anywhere and reports that nine out of ten Americans listen to its broadcast radio. Survey results show 92% use social media while two-thirds feel social media increases disconnection; 70% feel they have lost control of their feed and many distrust algorithmically curated information. Many respondents dislike clickbait yet still engage with it. Respondents report broad engagement with AI—needing, using, worrying about, and adjusting to it. The human consumer is defined by a yearning for authenticity and real emotional connection in an algorithm-driven world.
Read at RAIN News
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