Controversy with social media networking sites is not a new issue by any means. What seems to be on a lot of people’s minds is just how it is being used. There are always pros and cons with any source of media being used to get messages out to the whether it is marketing or sharing of information about what is happening around us. How do you feel about the use of social media networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook to get newsworthy information out to the public?
Remember Twitter and Facebook are only two of the social media networking sites that are in the top ten used in the United States. There are literally hundreds of sites being used globally at this time not only as a social and business platform but as a way to get breaking news out to people. This was extremely evident with the Sandy Hook school shooting.
Another example of Twitter being used is when natural disasters strike such as the Tokyo 7.3 magnitude earthquake on December 07, 2012. One gentleman reported that through the use of Twitter from tweets and re-tweets that he had several hours notice before the quake. The problem was that he didn’t know if the information was correct or was simply being shared as a joke by unscrupulous individuals. Just prior to the quake he received blaring alerts from his phone just before it hit.
In both of the above examples information was gotten out faster than the news media could put the stories together and get them to the people. With the Connecticut school shooting there were some negative effects from the use of Twitter in that Lanza’s brother was arrested due to misinformation and whose name was then unfairly smeared across social media networks before the truth came out. There were also problems with chaos in the area with all the people on the scene but what parent wouldn’t want to know immediately if it was their child. Facebook even dedicated a place to express grief over what was happening. With Japan’s use of Twitter and cell phones as alerting systems for the public prior to a quake giving a precious few minutes to take cover which may ultimately help to save some lives. New cell phones are required to have this alert system software.
Sports figures and other celebrities appear to suffer from the platforms being used as a means to spread rumors and untrue information. This happens though whether it is Twitter, Facebook or the Tabloids. At least in these arenas people have a quicker method of correcting misinformation.
These are only two examples of the tremendous impact that Twitter as well as Facebook has on news events. There are pros and cons to its use but overall no matter how much controversy people have with its use these platforms for information sharing there is no doubt that people will continue to use them for this purpose. We want to hear what you have to say about these issues and how you feel? Please leave comments and check us out on Facebook as well to let us know what you think.