How Social Media is Dividing the Country

According to a Pew Research Center survey, 62% of Americans receive their dose of news through social media. These survey results imply that 62% of Americans are staying up to date on events, politics, news, etc. through social media sources. Social media has been a main stream way of communication for years, and it just keeps developing. However, like many news sources, it comes with pros and cons. 

A few pros include: We are able to communicate quickly. While communicating quickly, we can communicate with people from all over the world. A few cons include: Since information can be communicated quickly online, that means false information can spread like wild fire. Also, social media makes it easy to spread false information while having little accountability be held for your actions. And most importantly, it is hard to decipher true information from false information. 

In light of recent events, the presidential election was one of the most publicized elections in history. The media misconstrued a lot of vital information that shaped a lot of people's views on the candidates involved in the election. Although the election is over along with the presidential debates, social media keeps the intensity of the election alive. It is a source that can be used to communicate anger and hate, which ultimately divides our country. It is a source where everybody's opinions are judged, critiqued, and challenged. This sense makes people feel like they almost need to take a side, to belong to one group or the other. Social media is slowly turning the residents of our country against each other. And like many things with social media, it is doing so quickly. 

http://www.journalism.org/2016/05/26/news-use-across-social-media-platforms-2016/