Renne Good and Alex Pretti being gunned down by ICE agents, the inconsistent trickle of the Epstein Files being released, and the Trump Administration being the Trump Administration have led to a brutal news cycle for anyone who can read.
Each new headline feels heavier than the last, yet the online discourse around these events somehow feels vapid, weak and without focus. Among these are TikTok commentators replying with screenshots from cartoons, movies, random memes and a caption. These further erode confidence in the valid method of discourse that is legitimate journalism. They flatten the seriousness of the events they’re responding to. Real human suffering has turned into a tryout for performative engagement.
Words like “graped” and “unalived” have run wild into these comment sections because the commentators are scared to be censored for using the correct terms. This obscures the reality of violence and absurdity that these stories should hold. Emotional and moral weight are thrown by the wayside so people can enjoy their likes and stay in the algorithm. Scrolling through a comment section containing these while a reporter explains a tragedy is not healthy.
Social media has taken over how younger generations consume news. According to research by the Pew Research Center, among U.S. adults under 30, 43% say they regularly get news from TikTok. About 20% regularly get news on Instagram. Among these is a more specific issue, and that is news influencers on these platforms. Among adults under 30, about four-in-ten say they regularly get news from news influencers. This deviation from traditional journalists has just thrown more gas into an already massive fire.
Social media news influencers are looking for likes and monetization, leading to clickbait stories that can be easily twisted without fear of accountability. Journalistic standards are not the forefront for these influencers; their job is to get onto the “For You” page and stay there to farm engagement.
All of this culminates in younger generations consuming short-form and hyper-personalized news stories on their For You page over and over, leading to desensitization of how they comprehend these stories and how they comment. We are seeing a rise in reaction images being used in comments, and how they are being used is not meaningful.
Obviously, the days of traditional news consumption are dying and have been since the Internet started. Also, this is not a push to fully stop seeing news on social media. It is convenient and can be very useful. But instead of just watching the 30-second clip posted by a news account or some influencer rambling with their own bias, read the story yourself and gain the context needed to understand it fully. And don’t comment with a stupid reaction image.
