It is important that, as a society, people who have access to social media should heavily consider participating in independent research. The public can be easily deceived or misled by individuals or groups with large following on social media. 

As a student in Journalism, I heavily encourage readers to become more informed on topics that have major impacts on the public. If most people are as aware of the internet being so deceiving as they claim, it is ironic and confusing why so many continue to fall into the trap of rumors surfacing around the internet. 

Unfortunately, so many people rely on TikTok or Instagram influencers to stay informed, instead of taking five minutes out of their day to conduct their research using a reliable source.  We have the privilege to use the technology and fast data to load up a search on a transportable device, such as a phone, tablet, iPad, or a laptop. Even if some may not have their own phone or laptop, there are public places where one can do research, such as libraries, which usually offer computers for public use. 

However, the majority of people choose not to stay informed and they end up becoming the same people who assume government changes will not affect them and become angry when altering policies actually do have an effect on their lives. And then, the same people record themselves complaining about these policies on the internet, continuing the misleading spread of information across social media platforms. These individuals possibly even search videos of other’s reactions instead of searching for articles that hard-working journalists provide to further influence their opinion. 

This is what causes people to easily fall victim to targeted news media outlets. It is common to think of the world as too cruel or broken to at least try to fix things, but we do have the power to change things. It is ignorance that holds society back from prospering fairly. 

It is difficult as people are so focused on their own lives and their own opinions. They end up leaving it up to others to do the work for them and for the future. This is a common phenomenon in daily life, letting others do the work for you just because one assumes that someone in the crowd will take action. This is known as the bystander effect, which is a psychological phenomenon that occurs when a person is less likely to help someone in need while others are present, especially in crowded places such as a city, a mall, or even a shopping center. 

This is an issue that happens at every second of every day. There may be someone who steps up and takes action, but how many people wanted to help but chose not to?

People must stay informed, look to reliable sources, and stay away from social media platforms when conducting professional research. It is for the good of society and its people.