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 on a daily basis. Not only is social media useful to stay in touch with friends and family, but it is an easy and quick way to receive the news. I enjoy Facebook and do not take it too seriously. I connect with friends to discuss upcoming events and stay in touch with family members (it is also great for birthday reminders.) There is so much tension in every day life, that I like to use satire/sarcasm in a lot of my posts. However, some people may not understand that sense of humor or they may not be as media literate so I do need to be careful on how or what I post on. Our digital footprints began since the dawn of the World Wide Web and everything is pretty much traceable, even with privacy settings. What we put on social media is a direct reflection of who we are, so it is important to remember that when making comments and posting pictures. I also use Twitter and Instagram. Twitter is a great way to receive news in real time and Instagram is used mostly to share photos and filter pictures to boost our morale.
Over time, my perspective of events has changed. The more I have used social media to look at breaking news, the more I know to check multiple sources first and to not "jump the gun" before making a conclusion. Today's media seems to care more about being the first to announce something, rather than being the most ethical. This can be seen in the case of Gabrielle Giffords. When she was shot in Arizona, multiple news stations confirmed her as dead, when in reality, Gabrielle was in surgery. The news stations had to retract their statements and issue apologies, this in turn ruins their credibility as a source for accurate information. I understand the pressures that the new media have to report, as we, the consumer have set these expectations.
I would say that these influences can be both positive and negative, not one or the other. The positives are that we can receive news quicker than ever before, with the click of the mouse, social media allows us to share news and cross physical borders around the world without ever leaving your seat. The negative aspects are that if someone is not media literate or doesn't reference check, they may believe everything they read or hear. Also, news sources are losing credibility by not giving accurate information to the public.
