Does Social Media Control Our News?

In today's society, almost everyone has a social media account. Whether it be a Facebook account, a Twitter account, an Instagram account, a YouTube account, or any of the other countless social media outlets, we all have taken the time to look at them probably at least once a day. Social media probably started as a way for all of us to stay connected to our friends and family, but it's hard not to stumble across a news article about something, and next thing you know, you have gone down a rabbit hole of today's news.

I think it would be hard for anyone to say that they don't receive part of their news from social media. I know I do. As much as I would like to stick to just receiving my news from the mass media, it's just too hard to. I am a classic case for the two-step flow theory.

I would say I mostly get my news information from the traditional media, such as the nightly national news and my local news, but I also love to watch The Late Show with Stephen Colbert every night. Maybe it's because I call myself a political junkie, and I want to laugh at all the crazy things happening in Washington, D.C.

However, I do not believe I am only an information follower. I try to do all of my own research when I see something on social media or a political commentary show to see if there are facts to back it up. In today's world, fake news is a significant issue that we all have to be aware of. Social media has given everyone the ability to share false information that can cause serious problems. The only way to combat this is always to do additional research from a reputable source on a topic that you find.

Because I do this research, I tend to also share it with my friends and family on social media, which in some ways makes me an opinion leader too. I may not be the largest or most famous opinion leader out there, but I do have an influence on those I am connected to on social media.