Fake News

As a young adult addicted to Instagram, I can admit that the majority of my news comes from social media platforms. Reading this study about the impact of fake news and social media makes me think about the topics my class discussed in my News Literacy in a Digital Age class. Since I took this journalism class, I know to always verify stories I see on my timeline and dashboard with credible sources like CNN, NY Times or The Skim app. It's a double-edged sword: I think it’s great that we can get breaking news immediately because of social media, but it’s also annoying to think that the amount of fake information we are receiving has more than tripled over the past few years. Unfortunately, nothing I read shocked or surprised me because I already knew how many trolls and fake organizations distributed fake news during the past presidential election. This just reminded me to continue to be cautious and aware of the information I am consuming.