From print to pixel: the digital dawn of news consumption
As society descends deeper into the digital age, our youth becomes progressively more media illiterate and desensitized to misinformation. Gen-Z often mocks older generations for falling victim to false information on platforms like Facebook, yet we are indifferent to this. Teens are immersed in a life that revolves around information they intake on the internet that the line between fact and fiction begins to blur.
The presence of social media undoubtedly plays a significant role, as quick access to shortened information leads to the false hope that people are becoming well-informed. It’s become overly common to appoint social media influencers as educators on pressing matters and global crises when in reality these people are unspecialized to speak on major issues. Influencers, who hold significant sway over young minds, will prioritize high engagement of their content via likes and comments rather than spreading accurate information. Instead, oversimplified narratives circulate on the phones of impressionable minds, meanwhile, credible news sources are constantly sharing objective and factual news that doesn’t catch as much attention to the teen eye.
Gaining media literacy goes beyond identifying blatantly untrue information, but also being able to determine when an online “news” source includes biases. As the 2024 election is upon us and political issues become more widely discussed, utilizing this skill is essential. If the majority of our youth is dependent entirely on social media for the latest information on politics and upcoming candidates, voters are left with a small understanding of complex politicians and their policies, ultimately skewing the true intentions of voting. They are unknowingly making uninformed decisions about the future of themselves and of our country without processing the consequences. Emma Thorpe (’24) shares how modern information online presents itself and what to keep an eye out for.
“Whether people are consuming entertainment or political content, a lot of media can be sensationalized,” Thorpe said. “It's meant to draw people in and get their immediate attention to entertain them…It's important to recognize why a specific group or person would put out certain content and who’s going to be consuming it. If it’s a very drastic opinion or it seems like it's meant to rile people up or stir some controversy, that’s dangerous and should definitely be avoided.”
Our younger generation must be capable of finding information intelligently, not only in a political context but in a general way of sensibility. Although much dependable information exists on social media, it can get entangled in a web of misinformation. It’s crucial for people to take it upon themselves to differentiate the two, especially before broadcasting that information to others. Whether you’re trying to learn about current events or just personal interests, take the extra minute to ensure accuracy. Any reliable source on social media should have an additional presence. News agencies like NPR or Associated Press that have existed for multiple decades in several forms can be depended upon.
“Getting information from social media is inescapable. A lot of credible news channels have adapted to social media and put out a lot of reliable content on social media because they know that’s how to reach a younger generation, but it’s also important to browse the internet and find news articles beyond that,” Thorpe said.
Art by Max Kehoe