My News Media

 Social Media allows us to have various sources to obtain information. Research shows that a little under half (48%) of U.S. adults say they get news from social media. If this many adult Americans are getting their news from social media, what news are they hearing? How are these social media platforms presenting political or international information to others? Each person has their own unique version of each social media platform designed for them through cookies and tracking devices. This is how these platforms keep you hooked on their information, they know your interests better than you!

 I access my news through Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, and Twitter. 

Instagram is a social media platform that focuses on pictures and short video clips for entertainment. People post things from images of their friends or cute videos of their dogs to news stories and politics. Some may only see Instagram as a source of amusement and not for news. However, there are plenty of accounts that post strictly news reports such as Fox News, Newsmax, and BBC News. 

I use Instagram for news because it's one of my most frequently used platforms for entertainment. I log in and see news stories along with entertaining videos. It is easier for me to comprehend politics and difficult topics when I can scroll past them and see a funny video after to lighten the mood. Instagram makes it easy to read or watch short news clips and then follow up with a wholesome video. 

TikTok is a different type of social media platform that is strictly videos. There is a new feature that was added this year called TikTok Stories which allows users to post a video or picture for twenty-four hours before disappearing. The videos people post vary from person to person. Each individual has their own "For You" page that shows you videos based on your interests and likes. There is a separate page to watch the videos made by users you follow. 

TikTok is my number one platform for news and entertainment. Although it may seem ridiculous to receive news through a sixty-second film, I enjoy the visuals and watching videos from the actual scene. Sometimes you will hear about situations that haven't been released in real news stories yet. Once again, there are certain users who post only news so you can follow them, or just liking a video will make more appearances on your For You page. 

Facebook is an older social media platform that isn't as popular among the youth as others. Here people post images, videos, and short texts about almost anything. There is a story feature like TikTok so you can post things for only twenty-four hours. Most adults use Facebook for entertainment but there are a lot of people that use it for news too. 

I use Facebook to learn more about what's happening in the world. I found that a lot of people will post personal or news stories that are important to hear. Sometimes the best news comes from the source directly. Facebook is not as popular with teens and young adults because it used to be more based on news and important information rather than funny videos. Now both news stories and funny videos can be found here similar to other social media platforms. 

Snapchat is another social media platform that is based on stories and quick pictures. This is an app for entertainment and communicating with other users. Snapchat is known for sending pictures back and forth with friends. However, Snapchat Stories is where you can find news and interesting pictures or videos. There are over hundreds of stories to click through and watch based on a variety of subjects. You can stick to just watching your friend's stories or you can explore different stories posted by all kinds of people.

Snapchat is a good source of news because the stories are short and to the point. The shorter the video, the more I enjoy listening. There is no extra time to talk about other subjects when the videos are limited to thirty seconds each. I enjoy seeing people talk about the news and give visuals to help demonstrate their points. Snapchat is different than other social media platforms because it's not all about posting your own content for others to see, it's about watching others and listening to them. 

Twitter is the final social media platform that I will mention. This platform is great for making quick and short tweets or texts. It's also used for posting videos and pictures with captions to give context. More teens are on Twitter than adults. It's often the fastest news source because of the easy access to a short post that only requires words rather than a video or picture. 

I don't use Twitter as often as the other social media platforms above. However, it is still a good source of news because a lot of people use it for that purpose. There are accounts you can follow to keep up with certain kinds of news or politics. You can also look at specific hashtags to find information. 

Overall, I think the best and most accurate news comes from a direct source but it can be difficult to achieve this. The next best thing is to look at multiple sources to understand different perspectives. Once you've checked your favorite sources for news, take a moment to think about it on your own terms. Interpret it how you believe it should be.