Social media is many things to many people and there is definitely a large dose of negativity and misinformation on every social platform. The ability to recognize this is not only a privilege, but it’s key to your ability to use it wisely and to your advantage. 

I was sitting at Starbucks when I overheard a conversation next to me between a woman who appeared to be in her early 20s and one in her mid-40s. The older woman asked the younger one where she gets her news from and the younger one said “This is probably really bad, but I get it from social media.” 

Why are so many people still embarrassed to say they get their news from social media? Especially young people who grew up online and know how to navigate it. I’m not afraid to admit that most of the news I consume comes from Instagram because I’ve curated my feed to allow me to do so and I don’t take what I read at face value. 

I don’t watch much TV, and If I am watching a show, I’m probably streaming through my phone while I do chores. Because of that, I also never really turn on the news. That doesn’t mean I don’t know what’s going on in the world. Social media makes it easy for me to gather local, national, and global news. It also makes it easy for me to see multiple headlines at once and dig deeper into stories. 

There are lots of benefits to properly getting your news online. The key word here is properly. You get to receive information from a ton of different perspectives. Whether it be the big news stations you follow, your local channel or even from people living in your community. These days absorbing multiple interpretations on a story helps to better understand the situation and develop a personal opinion. In turn, I think that makes you a more well-rounded person. 

Social media shouldn’t be seen as the be-all and end-all, it’s a starting point. A place where you can keep tabs on multiple happenings at once while also encouraging exploration beyond the quick headlines. You can click out of the social platform and read the full story on the news channel’s website, watch a string of videos posted by individuals who are being affected and have distinct viewpoints, or even read the comments to add some context.

If you are doing your due diligence, not taking a headline at face value, and being open-minded about different perspectives, don’t feel embarrassed for “getting your news from TikTok” or any other social platform for that matter.