Best Sources For News Aren't Always Social Media

Let's face it, most people today get their news and information from posts made on social media websites. This is particularly true of younger generations of people, particularly those in their teens and 20s. While it seems as though getting news from a website that can be accessed easily on the go, and that people are using multiple times a day anyway, is the best way to go, that is not necessarily the case.

There are several problems involved with getting the majority of your news from a social media website. First, many of the headlines that are shared come from websites that may not have the best reputation. It's hard to determine whether news is real or fake when it comes from a less-than-reliable source. The original point of news coverage was to provide strictly neutral, unbiased coverage of events. Many of today's pop-up "news" sites are exactly the opposite, and are instead completed biased to one side of an issue or the other. This does not accurately relate enough information to give you the actual "news" that you should be reading daily.

A second, huge problem with clicking on "news" links shared on social media websites lies in scams, schemes, and viruses. Unreliable websites, many times, can be shared for the sole purpose of infecting your computer or other device with a virus of some sort. In some cases, these viruses can allow another individual access to your device at a time of his or her choosing. This can seriously compromise your personal information. Other viruses stick with your social media account. These types of viruses can post derogatory, false, and even vulgar and defamatory information on your profile and under your name. Stories of this nature can even be sent out en masse to your friend list.

While there are some legitimate news sources available on social media websites, it's better, by far, to find a trusted news source that you know does a good job of getting the scoop you need. Finding a trustworthy source for current urban news online can be difficult, but it's not impossible. Check out individual websites and test their merit carefully before you make the decision to trust them as your go-to source for news you need each day.


Brenda said...

This is a great post! When we had to cancel the daily newspaper, I turned to the computer to find my news. You're right about there being false websites out there; I found some. My husband quickly pointed me to some good news websites to go to instead.

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