We have all watched The Social Dilemma multiple times; this is not where this article is heading.
The extreme growth of social media platforms has greatly contributed to the spread of fake news. Misleading information can appear to be legitimate, and have a wide-spreading outreach on consumers, especially teens who consume a large portion of news on social media, including students at GHS. Some have had experience with receiving or sharing misinformation without knowledge that it is false.
“The sources [of misinformation] may vary from person to person, but I feel I get equal amounts from Tiktok and Instagram,” Alexandria Wolfe ‘25 said.
Misinformation is not solely spread through social media. It can be heard and spread in passing or during conversations.
“I have definitely been subject to misinformation as well, especially with social media; however, it’s also easy to fact check without any reference of implicit bias to avoid misinformation as well,” Ava Knott ‘25 said.
According to Common Sense Media, teenagers (13-17) are attracted to social media, because of the sense of community, navigating their identities, and being in the ‘know.’ The internet is a place where news, entertainment, celebrities, and politicians are focused.
“Misinformation is often forged from authoritative figures’ purely opinionated personal beliefs that they take and use as fact. They then curate the idea and blindly pass it onto others,” Knott said.
The youth navigating the social media/news landscape should be very cautious and be weary of where they get their information.
“Read critically, check your sources, and don’t spread information before you’ve validated it. Take regular breaks [from social media],” Mrs Garritano said.
There are also major concerns with information being spread through social media.
“[I’m concerned about] ‘mis and ‘dis information. People don’t know the difference. Misinformation is innocent. Disinformation is meant to intentionally spread incorrect information to either keep corrupt systems power in place or put corrupt systems of power in place,” Garritano said.
Schools, news outlets, and many companies have prominent social media presences as well. The Paw Print has a heavy social media presence, with popular Tiktok and Instagram pages.
Even some of the members of the Paw Print admit that they receive much of their information via the internet. With all of this considered, teenagers can be made to feel that it is a necessity to use social media platforms to stay informed.