Have you ever shopped online and then moments later on Facebook (or on any other social media outlet/search engine), you see ads for that specific store or product that you bought? That's because Facebook, in addition to many other internet outlets, uses your interests online to gear advertisements and media coverage towards who you are. On Facebook specifically—an increasingly growing outlet of biased and almost misleading news stories—advertisers are allowed to "create an audience," in which they can add their advertisements to people's home page based on any website or any search online that may be linked or connected to what the advertisers are trying to sell you.
Creepy, I know.
So, how does this apply to the news we see on Facebook?
Basically, the same way. Videos and articles that you save and like on Facebook are being stored in Facebook's information center and then being mathematically calculated to give you, the consumer, more videos and articles based on the ones you've already expressed interest in.
Now, this may sound pretty cool that they can give you what you want. But it's actually creating a very big problem in the way we view the news and the way we interpret the world around us.
You see, since 30 percent of adults in America use Facebook as their main source of news, 30 percent of America is listening to biased news—especially Buzzfeed and Huffington Post, which are basically running rampant on Facebook, and are known as the least trusted news outlets in America.
This information that is geared towards consumers ultimately creates a divide between conservatives and liberals. They watch news that they already agree with, never challenging their own ideas or learning both sides of news coverage. They become misinformed, watching and believing biased news so much that they become consumed with the bias.
The problem is, most people notice the biased news stories from the other side of the argument but never take notice of the bias of their own side. Conservatives dispel liberal propaganda, but then turn around and post articles belittling and bullying liberal protesters. Liberals accuse conservatives of being bullies, but then turn around and post video after video slamming conservative ideals. We blame the Congress for partisanship, but Congress is a reflection of us. We are the ones who are really at heads.
Where do we go from here?
Check your facts. If you see a story from a news source that you don't know to be credible, before you "like" or save the video, look up the story on a search engine, and find a more credible source.
Read thoroughly. If there are diagrams or sources that they used, find those as well. Gain as much information as you possibly can on the story.
Take note of bias. If you see that an author of a story seems to slyly put their opinion in one way or the other, take note of the side that they are taking. Then find out if that news source is credible overall. See if they take a more liberal or a more conservative stance on issues.
Find another credible source that takes a different stance on the same story. Read openly and thoroughly without judgment of the other side. Find their sources and data, just like the previous article.
The truth is, there is no way to get rid of bias. Everything we say or do is a decision of choosing one thing over another. We choose what we believe is most important to the story, to the argument, and to solving the problem. This inherently causes bias. But, there is a way to keep bias in check. And that is to always stay informed. Fully informed.
