By Ella Stone
Media Manipulation is often criticized for its ability to spread misinformation. As true as that is, it also has the chance to educate and to bring attention to current issues. Being able to understand the harm and the help it can cause is essential to being able to tell what’s real and fake.
Fake news has been a huge problem for many years because of the way that it makes the public not believe true news. Especially with the recent election and the new abilities available with AI, many things were shared that misled voters.
Our algorithms on Instagram or TikTok are made to get a response out of us. If we spend more time viewing sad content, then more sad content will be shown to us. It is created based on our emotional responses in an attempt to maximize engagement. This tends to get people addicted to social media and brings up depression in many individuals. If you are watching sad videos 5 hours a day, you are far more likely to become sadder.
AI content makes it almost impossible sometimes to figure out what is true. Tweaking an original image just a little can ruin someone’s life. Cancel culture is still huge in this generation, and making a fake image not only betrays our trust but also hurts people’s reputations. These fake images can draw attention away from real issues happening around us.
Editing photos as an influencer isn’t an all-around harmful thing. Making yourself look tanner or adding more makeup isn’t hurtful in itself. However, it is important to be honest with your viewer to ensure that the beauty standard doesn’t become unrealistic. According to the National Institute of Health, ever since the role of social media has risen, so have the cases of self- harm and suicide in teens and young adults. Being honest is key to avoiding insecurities in young children who don’t know any better.
When used wisely, showing information on people’s social media may be key to making sure the word is spread. Many people do not watch the news and may not find out about major issues if not shown to them on Instagram. Many viral campaigns about Black Lives Matter, climate change, and LGBTQ+ community protests wouldn’t have had as much attention as they did without social media. Many times using storytelling and emotional words can make people more interested. Oftentimes, having an emotional connection to an issue makes you care more and makes you want to help.
Making information more accessible and available by a quick search may feel easier to navigate than a news report or wordy article. Many times people find it easier to find information when there are bullet points, instead of paragraphs upon paragraphs. Instagram news pages post daily with little bits of information to show you what’s going on.
Media Manipulation isn’t good or bad. It just depends on how it is used. It has the potential to deceive and break trust, but it also has the opportunity to teach and help tons of people. Like anything else in the world, it can be helpful if it is used right.
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