The Increasing Use of Social Media is Altering the Fabric of our Society
Two days ago a group of white nationalists marched to the University of Virginia, a largely liberal area in a state of mixed political leanings. They were protesting the proposed removal of a statue of General Robert E. Lee, a Confederate general during the US Civil War. The chants and clashes that ensued were documented. Everything was recorded from multiple points of view, even before the news outlets got there. From the altercations around the General Lee statue to the car plowing into a crowd of people, we have everything on video. Most of the time, on live video. Facebook and Instagram allow instant upload and real-time streaming.
Long gone are the days when we would wait until the 6 o’clock news to see what was happening in the world. What about the latest information on GMOs? Or breakthrough treatments on anything from the common cold to terminal illnesses? Just open Facebook or Instagram. If something major is happening, chances are that you will see it within the first few flicks of your thumb. Social justice issues, the alt-right’s latest moral missteps, or Trump’s Twitter storms… you name it. Depending on which poll you trust, anywhere from 44 to 66 percent of Americans get their news from social media, and we tend to check our accounts frequently. Fourteen times a day at least, according to this article.
It’s important to realize that the same methods that spread information also spread misinformation. Everything from the Pizzagate scandal to Alex Jones’ rantings on the falsehood of the Sandy Hook shootings. You can find it just as easily. Videos, blogs, heartfelt posts – they all go both ways. The trick is to know how to check your facts, and gather evidence.