In 2020 alone, we’ve faced a global pandemic, a chaotic presidential election, massive BlackLivesMatter protests, and more. Gen Z is becoming increasingly aware of the importance of staying informed about various social issues. With the prevalence of technology in our lives, it is easier than ever to gain that awareness.
As seen in the graphic, while some EBHS students do use popular news publications, almost all students who were surveyed said they also used social media to get their everyday information. However, while social media is a quick and easy way to stay updated, there are many issues with only using these platforms to obtain news. Several students who were surveyed cited the unreliability of social media and stressed the importance of “cross-check [ing] the information you read with other news sources and reliable articles”.
Another problem that arises with social media is that content is tailored to each user, limiting the circulated information. Junior Rebecca Smoller told the Hub, “We may just follow/see sources and educators who we agree with rather than making sure we corroborate sources and see what people with other opinions are talking about as well.”

It was interesting to see the contradiction between the large use of social media platforms and the simultaneous criticism of those platforms. It seems that while there’s a new awareness of current events, there’s also a self awareness of the credibility of news sources and information.

“Social media moves really quickly and it can be hard to read or care about every single thing that’s happening in the world. But, through these platforms, we’re able to hold ourselves and each other accountable for our words and knowledge. We’re all learning from each other and social media has made it so much more accessible,” Junior Nora Hennessy added.

While it’s obvious that obtaining news from social media can definitely be overwhelming and sometimes confusing, there’s also no doubt that it’s a novel way to engage in meaningful conversations and learn more about international events.