“After decades of media distrust growing in the U.S., many cease to tune in at all. TikTok, X and other platforms have become people’s main source for information. Do you think this is detrimental to the country or not? Please explain your reasoning.“

I believe relying solely on platforms like TikTok and X as main sources of information can be detrimental to the country, especially if someone is not trained to evaluate their sources. Without proper training in media literacy, people may unknowingly spread misinformation and bias that these social platforms allow to be featured. Another concern that I have is how quickly misformation can spread before it is corrected. Depending on the subject matter of the video, it could reach hundreds or even millions of people. If people rely on that content creator for news, then it may cause people to take them at their word. Even if someone tries to correct the content creator if they were to make a mistake in their video, the damage is already done. Whether the news is coming from social media or corporate media, I would encourage people to continue to research and form their own opinions before looking into other people’s points of view. 

-Matthew

Mainstream news outlets committed suicide during Trump’s first campaign by neglecting facts and using their platforms to smear Republicans and spread outright fake or biased news. Now, they are reaping what they sowed. (Ex: Stephen Colbert’s show got canceled because his ratings were horrible and his show was painful to watch — not because he made fun of Trump. If the latter was true, South Park and all of late night T.V. would have been canceled long ago.)

People want the truth. It is not their fault that they are being forced to turn to social media. A lot of the “news” online is speculation at best, but the conversations may actually motivate people to find the truth and look for sources. If they don’t, they risk spreading false information. But hey, the news was already doing that anyway.

-Masie

Social media is a pool of unverified information. Not everyone possesses the media literacy to distinguish fact from fiction. Mainstream media faces legal consequences for spreading false info, but social media platforms often lack accountability, enabling misinformation to spread.

The rise of AI-generated fake accounts has further exacerbated this issue. Fake news has become even more pervasive, overpowered by AI. In fact, over thousands of AI-generated fake accounts were detected in 2024.

Studies reveal that misinformation has reached 86 percent of global citizens, with social media platforms spreading fake content that accounts for 40 percent of all shared material. In the U.S., a staggering 80 percent of adults have consumed fake news, and 23 percent acknowledge sharing false stories, whether intentionally or not. These alarming statistics demonstrate that social media plays a detrimental role in spreading misinformation in the US.

Social media algorithms are designed to keep users engaged, often at the expense of their focus and creativity. The endless scrolling feature, fueled by these algorithms, can lead to a state of continuous distraction, making it challenging for individuals to concentrate on meaningful tasks. This can stifle innovative thinking, as people become more inclined to react and comment on posts rather than exploring original ideas.

-Suzzy