How Do You Interact With Social Media For News?
Over the past week I have been taking notes of when I would check my phone to see if any of my friends had updated their stories on Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat. Mostly I was just checking to see basic things like what my friends and family’s thoughts were on the Chicago Cubs winning the national league pennant again and clinching a spot in the playoffs for the third time in three years. All of my friends and family had posted similar statuses about how the series between the Washington nationals is not going to be an easy one. I found myself checking Instagram and Facebook almost hourly even when I was doing homework and working. During the weekend was when Snapchat became a real habit because I would check to see what my friends were up to and then send them a message from my phone asking how the event was going and if they wanted to hangout.
During the first week of my observations I was watching TMZ to check up on the celebrity gossip and entertainment news. When I heard the news that Hugh Hefner had passed away I was shocked and without hesitation I picked up my phone and went on to Facebook to confirm his death was real and sure enough it was all over my friends Facebook statuses. I truly feel that it is not a good habit to be checking my Facebook to confirm a death because anyone can post fake news. I feel as I should have gone to CNN.com at least for a more accurate confirmation of Hugh Hefner’s death. I also caught myself posting statues about how Hugh was an innovator. As I looked back to my data that I collected on how I observed my social media platforms I found that I would have at least five or more group conversations about different
Funny videos and memes posted on Facebook and Instagram. I find it a lot easier to have group texting on social media platforms then over the phone because it’s free and just much or entertaining. Over the weekend I attended the movie theater to see the movie It. Before seeing the movie I checked the movie news sources like rotten tomatoes, IMDb, and google users to see if it was worth spending the money. I find it truly astonishing that without hesitation I determined if I was going to go to the movies knowing how the movie was vs experiencing it and determining my thoughts for myself.
When I woke up on Monday I was very confused to find most of the Television sets in my home on high volume with CNN on. Talking about a mass shooting in Las Vegas. When I watched the news I quickly looked for my phone and went onto my social media platforms to see what my friends and family’s thoughts on the massacre were. Also I went onto Twitter which I don’t usually use unless I really want to see what the president thinks about an event such as the largest mass shooting in United States history. When I opened Facebook I saw a lot of statues about that if it wasn’t so easy to obtain a firearm we wouldn’t have mass shootings as often. I feel as if I didn’t open Facebook I wouldn’t have has many opinions about events like the mass shooting, but at the same time social media also convinces me to think negatively about such things like the government is responsible for these shooting because such states don’t have strict enough laws on firearms.
The same day I was riding in the car with my mother to the doctor we were listing to the radio and heard that Tom petty had passed away. Being a hug fan of the rock legend and my mom being obsessed we were both shocked. My mother quickly looked at me he said check your smart phone and see if it is true. With my mom not being a smart phone user I quickly opened CNN.com and it was confirmed that he had suffered from a heart attack in his Malibu home and passed away hours later in the hospital. After finding out about his death I was very active on all social media platforms reading quotes that friends and family had posted about Tom Petty and also posting my own quotes and writing rest in peace.
After observing myself for a week on how I interact with social media for news I really couldn’t believe how much I relied on social media to confirm an event that I witnessed on the news or even on the radio. I really feel that I need to stop looking at my friend’s social media statues to confirm an event because it really damages my own opinion. Another major problem I noticed is when I was doing important tasks like homework and working I was logging into all my platforms to see what my friends and family were up to which is fine in my own mind, but I feel is an addiction when you check it almost every hour.
After conducting this analysis I have chosen to restrict myself from using social media to only a couple times per day when I’m free from homework and when I’m not busy at work. I’m hoping by doing this that I will be able to form my own opinions and not rely on social media platforms to form my opinions for me. After critical thinking about my social media habits I now know that I have a better understanding that I was using social media as if I was abusing drugs and I have put together a plan to lower my use of social media and without doing this analysis I would have continued to rely on other peoples opinions of major events before conducting my own opinion.
