There is no doubt that only a few young people nowadays read newspaper or follow the news on TV, they either browse the social media or watch tiktok. In the case of the Philippines, majority of the Filipinos in the last two decades were only using TV, radios and newsprint as a means of updating themselves of the current situation in their respective regions. However, everything changed when the advancement of technology particularly in the field of communication took place.
First, mobile phones were upgraded to smartphones leading to the dependency of everyone to soft copies of newsprint, journals, articles and other forms of written media. Furthermore, it also increased the supply of news replays through videos made accessible on cellular phones. These already made a huge impact on how the people changed their means of following the news.
Second, the integration of the world wide web to smartphones strengthened the propagation of the news app, not to mention the social media partnerships they have. In addition to that, a huge number of influencers, whom majority of young people nowadays are fond of, also make use these online tools in utilizing headlines as their content, thereby contributing to the ongoing status of online news consumption.
With the causes presented above, many authorities that has the power to supervise the young adults nowadays have almost the same opinion when it comes to seeking of resolution for this problem of the over reliance to social media for news. This is a ongoing concern as this had resulted to fabrication of lies and a lot of fake news updates. Even policy makers are keen into making sure that this issue be resolved for the deterence of both kids and teenagers in reading reliable source of media becomes a weaponry for criminality and even the lowliness of a person’s quality of news understanding.
In conclusion, while social media has made news more accessible to young people, it has also increased the risk of misinformation. Therefore, it is important for schools and policymakers to encourage critical thinking and promote reliable sources of information so that young adults can stay informed without being misled.