Week 9: Social Media Impact

 Hello and welcome to week 9!


It is officially the first week back from spring break, a much-needed break from this crazy semester! My break mainly consisted of seeing old friends, resting, and spending time with my family. However, that means just a little bit over a month until I graduate, which seems so soon. 

This week's blog post is centered on politics and social media. More specifically, social media's impact on today's politics and the methods we are fed information. While politics doesn't directly relate to my field of interest, I am constantly keeping myself up to date and even indirectly fed political information. 

While I believe social media, such as Instagram or TikTok, is a great accessible way for people to access political information. These forms of social media have been great tools to learn more about the topics I am interested in (climate change, voting rights) and are presented in a digestible way. Personally, I have learned a lot from social media about current news. It’s quick, it’s visual, and it speaks in a language that feels more real and less filtered.

It can, however, lead to large amounts of misinformation or emotional manipulation that can make it difficult to know what's real or not. The algorithms tend to favor content that’s emotional which can lead people away from the facts and true information. The free usage and issues with filtering out misinformation are why there are so many people being misled. 

To try and combat this I usually try to find multiple sources from credible websites or news outlets. I always know to do my own research and find the facts before blindly believing everything I see online.  

In my opinion, the best way to connect and reach people is to be genuine with your campaigns or causes. I know in my case I feel more connected to a cause if I feel like I can also be a part of the conversation. Instead of being marketed to, I feel included, which leads to more engagement and trust.

Overall, I believe that the usage of social media really boils down to recognizing misinformation and doing your own research. Find causes that resonate with you, but make sure you understand what their true goal is and why you support it. The internet is full of amazing people, campaigns, and resources but like anything form your own opinions and thoughts! 

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