Social Media Debate Position 2: A Problematic Environment- Against the Use of Social Media for Credible Information

Abstract

This paper seeks to argue against the use of social media as an information resource and, in particular, that social media should not presently be considered a credible source of information for information professionals and the general public. Based on an exploration of the current literature, the authors discuss negative aspects of using social media for information purposes, namely, in terms of the dubious credibility of social media content, the commonality of echo chambers, and the effect of emotional content on users. There are several benefits of social media within our society, but ultimately social media should be approached with caution when it is used as a source of information for news, health-related information, or scholarly topics. Although this paper critiques social media primarily in terms of its implications for the library and information science field, it also views these various issues associated with social media more broadly in terms of their implications for the general public in shaping contemporary American culture, society, and politics.

Keywords:

• Credibility
• ethics
• misinformation
• news media
• social media

Acknowledgement

This is one of the four position papers on social media discussion organized by Dr. Ingrid Hsieh-Yee, Professor of Library and Information Science, Catholic University of America, in her graduate class of LSC 522: Digital Content Creation and Management, Spring 2021.