How Reliable is Social Media News?

Social media has become a significant part of our lives. The sheer amount of information being shared on social networking sites shows how significant part social networking sites have become. Although people have discovered the vulnerability and insecurity of social networking sites, it hasbecome a primary means to obtain information. So, are the information and posts on social networking sites credible? There are numerous scams and fake posts on social networking sites, mostly just to attract viewers with posts that stimulate interest. Although these trivial posts are not a huge issue, when it comes to political posts that contain comments with political bias and inaccurate news, it can alter people’s political inclination or can cause chaos with ease.

With the development of social media, people gained access to live information constantly being updated. With just a scroll, a wide selection of  news are provided. Having access to the quick flow of news, people have lost their ability to be skeptical about those posts. According to a study held by PEW Research Center, they found out that 66% of people use Facebook as their main source of news.

The rapid spread of news has brought convenience in accessing news. Remarkable or devastating events around the world are spread, enabling people to be aware of what is happening. Although the development of social networking sites has brought convenience accessing news, it is the people’s own risk to question the credibility of the news. Lots of people believe in the news provided on Facebook and Twitter as they believe that it is written by professionally trained journalists. However, the truth is different. According to PEW Research Center, 70% of the news on Facebook contains inaccurate statistics and political bias.

Although executives of social networking sites state that social media can be a platform where diverse opinions are shared, the impact of the posts written by anonymous figures on individuals is unmeasurabe Especially teenagers, who spend most of their extra time on social media websites, agree that their political inclination are formed through reading posts containing political bias. Many journalists are concerned that the easy access to news may have the potential to paralyze young teenagers’ ability to form their own opinions. Some even say that it is not us, the readers who control the news, but the media who controls the reader’s opinion. To prevent such a devastating phenomenon, parents as well as schools should warn students about the severeness of media propaganda and the ability to distinguish fake news by accessing diverse news sources.

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