Conclusion

In the last two posts, I’ve delved into how social media has changed the production of news by making everyone a potential author, the distribution of news—by allowing for (sometimes unregulated) content to go viral—and its consumption, by giving users more convenient access to news they increasingly distrust. 

But the second question I originally asked still remains: Has social media been to the overall benefit or detriment of the media industry?

And my answer is…I don’t know. And to some extent, I don’t care. 

First, let me explain why I don’t know: yes, I’ve done research. Plenty. I’ve read scholarly papers until it felt like my eyes were going to fall out of my head and roll away. And yet, with no consensus from scholars on whether or not this social phenomenon is a good thing, I certainly feel unqualified to make a judgement on social media’s overall effect on the world’s news consumption. I mean, really, when you think about it….what do I know? And who am I to say whether a massive part of the media industry has been “good” or “bad” for us all? Maybe it depends on the individual. For some, it works. For some, it doesn’t. 

But if you belong to that latter group, I suggest you make it work for you as quickly as you can, because--and here's why I don't care--social media is here to stay. It’s become an indispensable tool for people to do everything, whether they want to stay in touch with their loved ones or catch up on current events. It provides instantaneous access to information, arguably one of the most basic needs; In theory, it’s the perfect tool. 

Social media is the future of all media—of advertising, and journalism, and art and even film. It’s here, and I really believe it’s only going to get bigger as we move forward.

And as social media continues to grow, we have to find a way to regulate the kind of content that spreads across it. We have learn the best ways to work with it, rather than against it, to make sure that it’s a tool for us, rather than a weapon against. 

I’ll leave you with this: the future isn’t coming, it’s here. It’s one tap away, on your phone screen.

That's power, and if you asked me, I'd tell you to be careful how you harness it. 

- SJ