It's not a surprise that Generation Z is somewhat obsessed with social media and finding information on the internet. It shouldn't be shocking to learn that this generation likes to use social media as their main source for political news. It's rare that people from this age group wake up in the morning and turn on the television to their favorite news channel. Nowadays, people like to go on their phone and check their favorite social media sites.
How Social Media Is Impacting The Political Divide
A common problem with checking social media platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, etc. is that the information isn't always factual and it doesn't always come from reliable outside sources. These posts are more biased and opinionated, which leads people to believe things that have been twisted to favor certain political views. A great way to find more reliable information is to research and fact check things that are posted on social media. Gen Z will most likely continue using these platforms to learn about recent political news, but as long as there are additional steps taken to ensure the information is correct, it's okay to learn this way.
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I agree that there are a lot of misleading posts online. The convenience and fast pace nature of social media definitely makes it harder for users to fact check everything. The influx of information can be a little too much for people to really grasp certain topics. Like you mentioned, fact checking is crucial to finding news that is trustworthy. I think it would have to take a change in the social media platforms to make sure information that is being spread contains truth to them. Good post!
ReplyDeleteI feel like the target audience for alot of the misinformation online is not Gen Z, who has grown up on the internet and is more up to date with how to identify reputable sources, but rather the older baby boomer generations. It is not surprising that younger people are more likely to got to CNN's instagram before they click on their television channel, but it also should not be a surprise that they would be able to identify what source is credible and what source is untrustworthy.
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