How do you know what you know? Name one new thing you learned using a social media site today and explain why you believe it is true. What source did you use to acquire this information? At times, are social media sites reliable for obtaining credible information?

I base most of my knowledge on my experiences. What I experience, what others close to me experience or even experiences that occur as a result of my surroundings have all been learning experiences for me in some way, shape, or form. I also attribute most of my knowledge to my educational background as well as information I read via the internet, books and the media in general.  One new piece of information I learned today was that the Boston Celtics traded Kevin Garnett, Paul Peirce and Jason Terry to the Brooklyn Nets. Being from Massachusetts and most of my Facebook friends being from Massachusetts as well, this was big news and I found it posted all over my Facebook newsfeed. Most of my Facebook friends who posted this information posted about their opinions or thoughts as a result of this shocking trade. The reason why I know there is truth to this piece of information is because a few of my Facebook friends had actually posted a link to the website as a reference. For example, one friend posted a link to an ESPN website followed by his opinion. I have been seeing a lot of this lately and I think it is a great idea. We as a class have been discussing and debating over the accuracy of information posted and broadcasted via social media and although this is not a solution to the problem I think it is extremely helpful. I could cross reference the information by clicking on the link and reading the article for myself. With ESPN being such a reputable website I felt more confident in the piece of information I read regarding the trade. If the post had been referenced back to the National Enquirer on the other hand, I would have done a bit more research.

 

 

So, in this case social media did in fact provide factual information. Sure, it was posted along with a strong opinion but the person who posted the information cited the information by posting the website article for others to visit, check out or perhaps to cross reference. Maybe if social media users started doing this more consistently we would not have so many issues with the sharing of inaccurate information. We can then put the responsibility back on to journalists and media stations to be more diligent with fact checking prior to releasing and broadcasting information to new media outlets.

 

 

Personally, I typically utilize social media for more “entertainment” news however; I have been seeing more and more people share or tweet about real news. Although this type of news postings are extremely convenient to check via social media sites, I know that if I want details regarding a particular news story I will need to check more reliable resources rather then relying on social media posts. That is where things get a bit murky in terms of what is fact verses what is opinion or speculation.  

 

What forms of new media do you use daily? How has new social media influenced your perspective of events? Are these positive or negative influences?

I use new media every single day. My cell phone, my tablet, and my smart phone are those that I most rely on. I also use several different social media accounts. Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram… it seems like my personal life and work life completely revolve around my smart phone and all of my apps. I find myself using Facebook every day to keep in touch with friends I went to college with, high school friends, as well as family members. Facebook is also a means for me to check out the “news.” Not only can I read up on local and national news stories that my Facebook friends share but I can also read up on current events occurring in my Facebook friends lives. This week alone I discovered that two of my good friends from college got engaged. Another acquaintance of mine had a baby. One of my friends got a new job and another friend of mine just moved to California. Sure, this type of news is a bit on the gossipy side but humans are naturally social and discussing their thoughts, events happening in their lives, ideas and feelings is instinctive in nature.

Social media has certainly influenced my perspective on events as well as communications in general. Because of social media I have been influenced in the sense that I am one of those people who want information instantly. I have been completely spoiled by the instant gratification new media has presented society with. If I have a question, I Google it to find the immediate answer. If I need to talk to someone, I text them and receive an immediate response. If I miss my brother who lives in Thailand, I Skype him and I instantly get to not only talk to him but see his facial expressions and body language just like I would if he were right in front of me. If I need to transfer money from one bank account to another I pull up my bank app on my phone and it is done in less than 1 minute. I could go on, but the point is all these conveniences have truly spoiled me! I recently was on vacation and broke my smartphone to the point that it was unusable. I was in such a panic I called my carrier and had a new one overnighted to the hotel the next day. I found myself anxious until I received my smartphone. In this way, new media has had a negative influence on me personally by relying on new media a bit too much. However, I do not dispute the fact that new media has done so much positive for our society in general. New media has advanced us as people; it has advanced technology, the economy and our culture. New media has changed how people develop and live. Without new media I do not feel that we would be where we are today as a society. In that regard, I feel that new media has brought us to an advanced state. I find it fascinating how much has changed in short time from when I remember my first computer to how every aspect of my life surrounds new media today. New media is advancing at such a rapid speed it is truly exciting to see where it will take us next.