The speed by which information can be shared to social media is a large reason it has become a mainstream source of news for the Russia-Ukraine War.
According to general assignment reporter Colleen Grablick, there are two sides to social media.
On one hand, social media news, when gotten from trustworthy sources, can be a quick and easy way for people to find information.
On the other hand, the consumer of the information must find sources that are trustworthy, else the information found may not be credible.
Grablick also says that social media does a good job of connecting younger people to events that are going on around them.
“[Social media is] really good to get kids motivated,” Grablick said. “Especially during the pandemic, when everybody was stuck at home, social media was a way that kids connected.”
Grablick stressed the importance of finding credible sources on social media, saying that it is “on the consumer” to find their information in a trustworthy way.
Some credible sources on social media would include the social media pages of news corporations or other news publications.
According to social studies teacher Matt Firuta, social media can complicate an already tense situation, such as the Russia and Ukraine conflict.
“I think there’s a lot of like maybe I’m biased or misinformation [on social media] that students get caught up in,” Firuta said.
Firuta said that social media is an issue with multiple sides when it comes to spreading news.
On one hand, social media is a very swift way to convey information and news. However it doesn’t always have the facts correct. Social media also has so many users that not all can be taken seriously or believed.
“It’s definitely important to keep an open mind and try your best to read through a bunch of different sources,” Firuta said.
However Firuta did say that social media does have some advantages.
One such advantage is the ability to create an air of realism. Because social media is such a fast acting news source, people in Ukraine can easily share their point of view on the conflict and share their hardships.
According to Firuta, this can give people around the world some insight into the lives and struggles of the citizens, creating empathy from others around the globe.
Some students also have varying opinions on social media being used as a source of news.
According to freshman Elise Holly, social media is an important part of news coverage. “All of the news I get is from social media,” Holly said.
Social media is becoming more and more of a news source for many students, simply because a large amount of students have some type of social media, and have all that information sitting right in their pocket.
However not all students are as supportive of social media as Holly is.
Sophomore Landon Foley is much more critical of the platforms.
According to Foley, social media has a lot of untrue information that can be harmful to those who read it.
Foley also says social media has caused “major issues,” such as falsely representing people from both sides of the conflict.
These major issues could adversely affect either side of the conflict by spreading false information.