How Reputable is “Instagram News”?

In a world where all the information you could ever need is only a click away, it’s easy to see a news story and assume that it’s true. The Internet is overflowed with websites, photos and news outlets that it can be hard to navigate the overabundance of information and know what exactly to trust. 

Instagram is a social media platform that has grown exponentially in the last decade. It was created in October of 2010 and ten years later, it is used by over one billion people. It’s used predominantly by teenagers and younger generations to connect with others, share photos, and stay in touch with friends, but many also use it as their primary source of news for current events. However, so many accounts exist just for the purpose of spreading false information that fake news can spread like wildfire. 

“Instagram News” is targeted towards teenagers. Because of teens’ short attention spans and desire for instant gratification, the convenience of Instagram news is appealing. What teen wants to go buy a newspaper and then actually read it? And sitting down in front of a TV to watch the news is just out of the question. With Instagram, you can easily scroll through people’s stories to get whatever news updates you need. 

Despite its convenience, using Instagram as a news source has proven to be unreliable. When surveying a sample of 218 teenagers from ages 10 to 21, I found that only 22 of them think it is reputable versus 196 who think it is not reputable. 90% of the group believe that Instagram news is not a good source. Most people will repost anything that seems important without verifying that it is actually true, so they may be unknowingly contributing to the spread of misinformation. 

 On the other hand, Instagram can be a great way to share information and bring awareness to certain issues. It is useful to learn what is going on in the world, as long as you do your research. Don’t automatically assume that everything you see on Instagram is true. You should always make sure that you have another source to back it up. Fact check and think before you repost. 

Overall, social media can be a positive force for change if utilized intelligently. Just remember to proceed with caution!