I am gonna use myself as an example to further explain my thoughts of Facebook news. I am an avid hunter, card carrying member of the NRA, and gun enthusiast. So the majority of the news-feeds that I tend to see on Facebook are how people with concealed carry licenses stopped a robbery, helped a woman escape from a mugger, were able to defend their family from a home invasion.
Facebook and other social media sources have been mentioned as having a huge affect on our last Presidential election, I am not 100% sure that it did. With so much slander, and bullshit being spewed allover Facebook about Trump and Clinton, I feel that it negated an advantage for either candidate. I believe that Facebook is filled with fake news; with 1.4 billion users, Facebook provides the perfect target audience for faux journalists to spread their work. I remember opening my Facebook page one morning about 2 years ago, and was instantly saddened by an article at the top of my news feed. It was an elaborate article about the passing of famed actress (one of my favorites) Betty White.
This story, for the most part, ruined my day. I am a huge fan of Betty White and reading that she had passed away deeply saddened me. I kind of moped around the house for awhile, then decided to watch the show Golden Girls for the next few hours, just thinking about all the laughs Betty White provided in my life. The next day I decide to look at Facebook again and read a ton of posts that the news article of Betty White was fake. I could not believe that someone would go through so much trouble of writing a bullshit article like that. I was relieved that Betty was still alive, and then instantly pissed off that this article was ever written and placed on Facebook. That moment is when I realized how much garbage and "fake news" was really out there. It made me completely suspect of every news article on Facebook that I have ever read.
To sum this blog up, I am not going to say that Facebook news is the devil, however, I am gonna say be very leery about what you read. Always look at the source that your news is coming from. I think it is a crap shoot these days between what is real and what is total BS. and God Bless Betty White! :)
Great pictures, I agree anyone can create a news article and cause a great deal of panic. Like for instance North Korea tensions with the United States. There are many news articles on Facebook about the issue but which of them are true?
ReplyDeleteSo many celebrities have been victims of death hoax's. It's sickening to know that people enjoy writing such articles. Every time I come across one I have to Google the artist to see if it's true or not.
ReplyDeleteGood response, Danny (although if you scan the rubric, you'll see you were supposed to APA cite all articles you used, including the primary one).
ReplyDeleteLet's face it; Facebook is ok for news but it doesn't replace real news sources and it is littered with fake news, debunked nonsense and conspiracy theories. The fact that you have to fact check pretty much everything on there makes it a suspect source for information.
Again, the key always seems to be critical thinking on the part of the reader.
And I agree with the others; great pictures. And no, Obama and HRC were never out to take away "all your guns".