MayaCassar.Blogs

Like most others born in generation Z, I gain most of my news from new media, specifically social media, such as Facebook. This is because it is the source that is most accessible to me and therefore the source I utilise the most. I also find other sources of news to be depressing, whereas social media algorithms recommend news that is catered to me. However, is this a good thing or a bad thing?

Image of facebook.com mobile page on a mobile Safari browser (Feyissa 2020)

Image Via Unsplash

It is paramount that we know who controls the media we produce because they control what is published, ultimately influencing what we are exposed to and thus impacting the information we receive which can influence our perspectives and beliefs on issues in the world. This ultimately means that social media can be used as a tool for propaganda and persuasion, which can be spread to a mass audience in a matter of seconds. 

It is important to note that most social media platforms are subsidiaries that are owned by a parent company. For example, Facebook CEO and Founder is a well-known man named Mark Zuckerberg, and the platform is owned by Meta platforms technology company (Reiff, 2022). This means that they make the decisions on what Facebook is used for and what content can be posted.

In regard to getting our information from social media, we must also be aware that anyone can post anything. Even with mass freedom of speech and the availability of widespread citizen journalism, there are shortcomings in media protection and legislation. This was highlighted in the incident of the live broadcast on Facebook of the Christchurch mosque attacks in 2019 (Valcic 2021). The limited regulations also mean that fake news or news that is not fact-checked can be produced without consequence and gives people who have ill intent the opportunity to instil fear and chaos (Cosentino 2020).

Image of a crowd – We are. (Cescon 2018)

Image via Unsplash

Personally, I have limited trust in all news sources, not only social media. This is because many people use the news for their own personal or political gain and often it is difficult to know what is true and what is not. Although I believe one of the reasons I trust social media more than traditional media is because it is utilised by others in my age demographic as sometimes traditional views feel outdated and less transparent. 

However, it is important that we keep up to date with current events. Social media allows for news to be quickly distributed which can be viewed from both a positive and negative perspective. Although this blog focuses on the negatives of obtaining news through social media, there are also many positives, such as it allows for multiple opinions to be heard and discussed on important matters. The rise of new media simply means we need to be aware of who is controlling our information so that we can be certain we are being told the truth and thus allowing us to make up our own minds on various debates and issues. 

References: 

Cescon, G 2018, We are., image, Unsplash, Viewed 23 March 2023,<https://unsplash.com/s/photos/mass-media>

Cosentino, G 2020, Social Media and the Post-Truth World Order: The Global Dynamics of Disinformation, Springer International Publishing AG, Cham, Viewed 23 March 2023,<https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/uow/reader.action?docID=6135165> 

Feyissa, S 2020, facebook.com mobile page on a mobile Safari browser, image, Unsplash, Viewed 23 March 2023,  <https://unsplash.com/s/photos/facebook>

Reiff, N 2022, Social Networking Companies and What They Own, Investopedia, Viewed 23 March 2023,  <https://www.investopedia.com/social-networking-companies-6830677#:~:text=Who%20owns%20most%20social%20media,Instagram%2C%20while%20ByteDance%20owns%20TikTok.>

Valcic, J 2021, The Sharing of Abhorrent Violent Materials Act: The realities and implications of Australia’s new laws regulating social media companies, Bond Law Review, Vol. 33, No. 1, pp. 1-26, Viewed 23 March 2023,  <https://blr.scholasticahq.com/article/19107>