Nowadays, Gen Z’s first news source is social media, specifically TikTok (don’t lie to yourself; we all know denial is a river in Egypt). Social media is free; everybody can post whatever they want, fake or factual. However, the increased accessibility of artificial intelligence (AI) makes it really easy to create content, so most of what we see doesn’t come from a safe and reliable source.
Among all media platforms, TikTok plays a big role in how AI is changing, how we see the world, and how we trust the media. At least once, you’ve scrolled through TikTok and found an interesting video about horses that starts off looking normal and ends with a horse doing back flips, or a deep fake video with a face filter and a voice over that can easily fool you into thinking it’s your favorite artist, until you hear something totally nonsensical.
If you haven’t faced one of these examples, I’m still sure you’ve seen the “emotional support kangaroo” video.
The Emotional Support Kangaroo
This video was posted first on Instagram by visual effects artist Infinity Unreality on May 25, 2025. Soon, it also went viral on TikTok and other social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube. In the video, the animal is shown at the airport as an “emotional support kangaroo” that needs to board the flight with its owner, but the airline company staff denies its entry onto the airplane.
Different from the other examples, this video never seemed to be fake or was stated to be AI. This case got so many views; people sympathized with the animal’s owner and with the fact that the kangaroo is holding its own boarding pass.
People were also confused and concerned: Is an emotional kangaroo a thing now? How is he so quiet and patient? How is it even possible to get a ticket to an animal? These questions started to circulate through all the platforms. Finally, it made its way to TV news and magazines such as Forbes, which posted about it being “totally AI-generated.”
How Can We Tell the Difference?
These videos are entertaining, but they also blur the small lines between fabrication and authenticity, which has been influencing trust in the media. Gen Z and college students are consuming media more than any other generation before; however, we have the power to ask smarter questions.
As people and future professionals, we need to have the capability to be rational. Using AI to break down a hard topic or brainstorm is helpful, but to fully create a project, conduct research, or publish something without much information or understanding can make people question all media, AI or not.
It’s important not to solely rely on one source of information, especially if it comes from a social media platform. The current culture of media trust isn’t just about facts but also about how they’re being delivered. The need for trustworthy media is necessary, and it’s present. Still, AI isn’t going anywhere, and it’s important to change our perspectives to live with that. We must be aware, scroll smart, research, check sources, and check ourselves.
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