Social media has become one of the largest news outlets for individuals all across the world. Whether the information is accurate or not, people are increasingly relying on, trusting, and spreading the news that is fed to them through these platforms. This growing reliance on social media as a primary news source is raising serious concerns about the spread of misinformation and its consequences. 

Over the past couple of years, social media has transformed how the public receives their news. Less used platforms like live television, newspapers, magazines or radio shows were go-to’s when staying up to date with all types of news. Now with the rise of social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and X users are exposed to a huge variety of perspectives in rapid real-time. 

Cathedral student Aubrey Owens ‘26 explains she mainly uses social media for her news. “Usually when I look for something that’s going on in the world, I look on social media for my information.”

While there are some positives in social media being such a huge source of news, there also lies large concerns. 

With differing opinions, users hiding behind screens, and emotional ties, social media is a toxic place to receive your news.

With apps that consist of millions of users and millions of opinions, news is bound to be lost in translation. With users having the ability to post anything without much oversight, rumors and lies can spread quickly. 

Leading to the shocking statistic that 54 percent of Americans get misinformed on social media.

Unlike traditional news outlets, that are held at high standards, social media is not. Posts get sent out to the world with no real approval or standards. This leads to a lack of accountability from everyone. It makes social media an unreliable source of information. 

Social media is about framing news and stories that toy with people’s emotions. Whether it’s fear, anger, or outage, this emotional appeal creates engagement. Emotionally charged content is more likely to be reposted, liked, and commented on. Social media provides a platform to grab attention from viewers, true or not. 

Mrs. Martinez, a history teacher at Cathedral shares her thoughts regarding social media by saying,  “[Social media] was originally called social networking, not social media and that to me tells me everything. It is not about connecting anymore, it’s about receiving certain media messages.” She adds that “social networking was supposed to connect humans but now social media has created this differential belief system.”

In a world where social media is so dominant it is important to realize the risks that are involved when it comes to getting your news from social media. No matter the platform there is always a different motive behind the news being posted on social media that is far from the truth.