In a generation of rapid technological advancements, adolescents grapple with a seemingly paradoxical problem: the negative impacts of a wealth of information. Ninety-six percent of American teenagers reported that they access the internet daily. In 2014-15, 24% of adolescents stated they used the internet “almost constantly.” A decade later, the amount has doubled to ~46%.
The internet is embedded in society. It’s part of everyday life for nearly every teenager in America. This is also true for countless other nations around the world. Billions of people are connected through a vast network of knowledge, and many can create content themselves. This abundance of connections can be incredibly beneficial; however, it can also have significant consequences.
Many of the repercussions lie within the realm of self-education. Seventy-five percent of 16-to-24-year-olds referenced social media as their main source of news. Twelve-to-15-year-olds followed a similar pattern: 57% reported using social media platforms, most commonly TikTok, for information. Such platforms provide teen users with opportunities to consume and produce informative content, which can be both beneficial and harmful.
Manual teacher Emily Sales (English) described the ways social media impacted her students.
“Since social media has really dominated the scene, my students are objectively much more well-versed on current news topics than they were 10, 12, 15 years ago. So I think that’s great because news is much more accessible to them in a style that they like to … consume it,” Sales said.
However, she recognized the drawbacks of news consumption through social media as well. Sales explained how algorithms play a part in creating and perpetuating echo chambers by consistently providing consumers with content they politically align with. This process can lead to the consumption of stories with significant bias and often misinformation, resulting in viewers experiencing reduced empathy and improper comprehension.
Furthermore, the frequent intake of information, even if a viewer is not part of an echo chamber, can have detrimental psychological effects. Short-form videos, such as Instagram reels or TikToks, typically range from 15 to 45 seconds long and can include an incredible variety of information. While this can promote entertainment and even education, it can also result in desensitization. As viewers scroll their way through their own personalized digital space, they can interact with everything from funny cat videos to news reports on war. Content can go from humorous to violent in the span of a few minutes, leaving teens with little time to process their emotions. They may be informed on current events, but they are also left numb.
Many Manual students recognize the repercussions of the way information is spread on social media within themselves and their peers. Elena Cates (10, MST) described how content containing violence, such as the videos depicting the murder of Renee Good and the assassination of Charlie Kirk, has led to her becoming more desensitized to tragedy.
“Their [Good and Kirk] deaths are so tragic and so horrible, but because of the way they’re being filtered out, it becomes sensationalized and we lose the importance of what it means to be human and to realize that these people are actual human beings,” Cates said.
The circumstances surrounding the murders are incredibly different. However, the cases are treated in similar ways on social media. Many social media users and content creators have reposted the videos to add fuel to a political fire and in both cases, the murder victims are often treated as spectacles or caricatures.
To avoid interacting with strongly biased, graphic posts, Maggie Stone (11, J&C) works to keep her feed “healthy” by filtering out such content.
“I definitely feel that desensitization to violent and graphic content because of the way that social media spreads information is a very real issue,” Stone said.
Stone primarily follows the news through reputable sources, such as National Public Radio (NPR), The New York Times (NYT), BBC and The Associated Press (AP). She does glean some information through social media; however, she typically views posts on the accounts of credible news sources to ensure the information is factual and trustworthy. Besides credibility, news articles also differ from social media posts in terms of how consumers analyze the information they contain.
“I think that because of the way that social media puts out information, it is meant to just be consumed and not to be processed,” Cates said.
News stories from credible sources are often intentionally crafted for viewers to learn about and process information. One article might spend five to 10 minutes discussing an issue, while an Instagram reel could spend 15 seconds. Furthermore, reliable journalistic sources tend to avoid sensationalizing an event, while social media content often relies on shock value to gain views. News platforms typically provide a variety of content; however, it is usually structured in a way that allows readers to intentionally select the stories they want to view. This provides viewers with a space to actively educate themselves and process information, without the jarring switch between topics.
However, a vast majority of teens still use social media to learn about current events. Some use a mix of social media and news platforms. Others do not follow the news at all. In a world that makes so much information available on so many different platforms, how can adolescents stay empathetic and informed?
The answer is not simple or definite. There is no perfect source of information. Even if people had access to one, nothing requires them to use it. Besides, true learning rarely prospers in terms of requirements. A disinterested teen can read a news article from start to finish and not truly comprehend or care. The solution does not entirely rely on the source of the content; it relies on the mindset of the consumer.
Cates described how her thought process changed as she grew accustomed to social media. Although she has experienced some desensitization, she works to improve her mindset by being skeptical and intentional when viewing information on social media. Whenever Stone reads posts from questionable sources, she makes sure to conduct further research before repeating the information to others or applying it to her life.
It is essential that adolescents actively seek out knowledge. They need to look at each piece of content with a critical eye and an open mind. Empathy exists below the surface, and it goes hand in hand with discomfort.
Ninety-six percent of teenagers make the daily decision to be on the internet. Now, we must all make the daily decision to be uncomfortable. So many components of the American system rely on efficiency and ease, and those ideals have leaked into the world of news consumption. However, the human mind is not meant to put the pieces together in 30 seconds. We have to feel, think, discuss, and research. We have to let our thoughts be provoked. We have to process once we hit play, then pause and mull it all over.
Adolescents can learn from reliable sources in a variety of ways. Stone appreciates the convenience of listening to NPR while driving her car. People can read publications that post information in an unbiased, concise manner, such as USA Today and The Guardian, in order to learn effectively and efficiently. It’s important that each person finds sources that fulfill their individual needs and interests to improve news literacy practically.
We live in a nation centered around technology. We cannot let technology become a crutch. Instead, we must use it as a tool to better our understanding of the world, our peers and ourselves.
