Social media: an omniscient being that has come to dominate our worlds, giving us access to a digital sphere of communication, information, and breaking news occurring continents away. Think about our lives before Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, etc. It’s absolutely no secret that life has changed drastically for even our generation, but can you imagine the difference between our grandparents’ childhoods and their lives now in terms of using social media as a news source?
The perks of instant information through social media are obvious and almost indescribable. Within seconds, we know breaking news happening around the world. Think about 9/11, the Sandy Hook shooting, the Boston Marathon bombing; these are only a few examples of life-changing events our generation has witnessed seconds after they occur. News sites on Twitter post only one or two sentence long updates within a few minutes after a large event. “Attack in airport in Europe. 3 or more at least dead.” And what do we do after we see this? We instantly check social media on our cell phones because we crave the information. We text our friends in the group chat and call our family to compare information. It’s a sudden obsession to know more, a large worry pounding in our heart as we soak in every bit of information almost while these events are happening.
Pearl Harbor is one of the most powerful and famous news days in our nation’s history. Did you ever stop to think about breaking news back then, in the year 1941, before cell phones, television, and the technology that has come to change our lives today even existed? In those years, radio was arguably the most powerful source of information. While information was accessible if you were able to afford it, the instantaneity and accessibility that dominate our world today were impossible to achieve. On the day of the Pearl Harbor attack, programs across the nation were interrupted. Neighbors raced to houses with radios and people gathered on the streets to discuss the newly discovered tragedy. The newspapers flooded the following days with headlines including “War With Japan!”, “Pearl Harbor Attacked!” Were loved ones in Hawaii okay? How many were dead? Were other countries involved?
Of course, all of these questions were answered eventually, more information coming in bulk through political announcements, newspaper articles, and radio talk shows throughout the week. The information released was accurate, given that journalists gave each article and announcement the time and effort to ensure proper information. It took days for the full scope of the scene to be understood nationally and internationally.
This poses the question: what would Pearl Harbor news coverage be like if it happened tomorrow? It is easy to quickly defend social media and list the pros of its effectiveness: information is provided quickly, loved ones in potential danger can be contacted, and communication can possibly warn of future harm in a specific area.
Yet, catching up on news through social media has its downside. Given the Internet’s wide accessibility, anyone and everyone can post things as they wish. With the popularity of social media, news broadcasting has become a race between those who can report information the fastest, which makes mistakes, rumors, and inaccurate information more likely to occur. With such bursting and short titles as well, people today fail to read the entire story, which only perpetuates the cycle of inaccurate reporting and spreading of news through third sources.
So, what can we do as victims of the social media craze changing the world and news broadcasting as we know it? Be smart with websites you trust. Be aware that quick updates do not always contain the most accurate information. Be sure to read full articles as opposed to titles, tweets, or several sentences. And, of course, always be social.