RaymondGalicia

Mrs.Thomas
UWRT1102058
9February2015

SocialMediaorSocialDictation?

Myinquiryquestionwashardbecausetherearesomanytypesofmediainthe
world.Itriedtofocusononetypeofmediathroughoutmypaperandthatwassocial
media.IalsoincludedsomehistoricalexamplesofmediatorelatetotheBookThief.I
didresearchjustbygoingondifferentsocialmediasitesandcollectedinformationof
peopleandtheirposts.SometroubleIhadwasfindingthetruthfromthefactsand
researchingtopicsonmyowntofindoutwhatisreal.

ImonSocialMediasitesalmosteverydayatanygivenpointoftheday.Itisan
everydayritualthatalotofteenagersgothroughonadailybasis.Wewakeupandwe
checkTwitter,Facebook,InstagramandTumblr.Wedothisthroughouttheday.Itisno
surprisethatthesesitesinfluenceussomuch,itsbecausewereonthemsomuch.Media
hasbeenaroundforcenturiesinformsofposters,newspapers,andnowsocialmedia.
IalwaysaskmyselfwhenImonsocialmedia,aretheseopinionsmineor
someoneelses?WhenIreadapostortweet,Isometimesgoalongwithitevenifit
doesntgoalongwithmyviews.Iautomaticallythinkbecauseithassomuchsupport

(likeretweetsorreposts)itmustbetrue.Sothebottomlineis:Shouldsocialmedia
influenceussomuchthatwebelieveeverythingwereadorhear?
AhistoricalexampleofpeoplefollowingthemediawasGermanyduringthe
1930s.HitlerusedpropagandatopromotehimselfandtopushhisNaziwaysontothe
public.Heusedfeartacticsinhismessagestoscarethosewhodidnotcomplywiththe
NaziProgram.HeusedthistypeofmediatocontrolGermanyanddeceivetheoutside
world.Hispropagandahadmixedmessagesthatunitedthecountrybutatthesame
broughtdownthosewhodidnotfithisidealutopia.WhenHitlerwantedwarwithPoland
andthepublicdidnot,helaunchedcampaignstomakePolandlookliketheenemy.The
NaziregimenmadeallegationsthatthePolishpeoplediscriminatedandactedviolently
towardsGermanslivinginPoland.TheymanipulatedthemediagoingintoGermanyto
getsupportfromtheirpeople.Themediaandpropagandawassointenseandblinding
thatitforcedthepublictobeokaywiththeexecutionofallEuropeanJews.
Mediahasbeenusednegativelythiswayforyearsbecauseitsaneasywaytocontrolthe
population.
AnotherincidentregardingsocialmediaandthepublicwasKony2012.
Whenthisisbroughtuptosomeonemyage,theytreatitasajokenow.Kony2012was
campaignstartedbyJasonRussellwithavideocalledtheInvisibleChildren.The
campaignspurposewastohaveJosephKony,awarcriminalandmilitialeader,arrested
bytheendof2012.KonyisnolongerathreattotheAfricapopulationandsomesayhe
wasnever.ThevideoblewuponYouTubeandinstantlybecameahitwiththeyoung
audience.Thecompanyaskedfordonations,support,andhelp.WhenthiscameaboutI

wasabout15andIfellforeveryword.Ievenwantedtodonatemoneywithouteven
researchingthecause.Thisisthetypeofmediathatshouldnotbesoeasilyavailableto
children.Thevideohadmanygraphicimagesmakingyoungpeoplefallforwhateverthe
videosaid.Onevideomadeamovementthatmadepeoplefeelbadandgoagainstaman
thattheyhavenoknowledgeabout.Theyshouldhaveincludedcrediblesitesorfactsin
theirvideoforpeopletoactuallyreadinsteadofgoingalongwithwhateverthevideo.
AnongoingbattleonTumblrnowiswhethergettingyourvaccinesisapositiveor
negativething.InonepostIsawtheopiniongofromyesgetyourvaccinestonothey
causeautism.Thesepostsreceivealmost100thousandsreblogs.Thesekindsoftopics
areonesthatteenagersshouldgetprofessionalinformationfrom.Theyshouldlookthese
questionsuponatrustedsiteorasktheirdoctor.Sincemostofthedemographicthatison
thesewebsitesareteenagers,theyaretoolazytolookuptheinformationthemselves.So
whattheyreadrightthenandthereiswhattheybelieve.Idonotthinkwe(teenagers)
shouldbebasingdecisionsregardingvaccines,whichhelppreventdisease,onposts
writtenbyotheruneducatedteenagersoryoungadults.Sometimessomeonewhoknows
whattheyaretalkingaboutgetsitright,butmostofthetimeitdoesnthappen.
Peopleshouldbeabletoformtheirownopinionsinsteadofhavingsomeone
elseswaysforceduponthem.ThepeopleItalkedtoshedapositivelightonmedia.
NatalieHillofMooreHallsaid:SocialMediahasmadememoreinformedaboutissues.
SocialMediahasalsoopenedupmoredoorsformeandIhavegottenmoreopinionson
things.Themediacanbedeceptiveanddark,peopleneedtolearnhowtothinkfor
themselvesandnotrelysolelyonunaccreditedmediatogettheirinformation.Thenews,

posts,andarticleswillmostofthetimebebias.Thereisalwaysmorethanonesideto
everystory.