For as long as a can remember, social media has been heavily integrated in my life. My middle school years are framed by my experiences with Snapchat, I posted many high school dances on Instagram, and I’m forever entertained by funny videos on TikTok.
While these platforms have served mainly as a source of fun and entertainment most of my life, they’v been able to supplement my reporting as a journalist in incredibly helpful ways over the past year or so.
Not only do platforms such as Facebook and Instagram allow me to scan the accounts of people or groups that I could use as a primary source (given that they have a public public page/account), they have the power to connect you to other sources by suggesting other people to follow that may be of the same community or interest.
I also get a lot of inspiration from social media itself when it comes to the topics I want to write about. I have a B.A. in Communication and Media Studies, so spending copious amounts of time on social media – while it is simply part of my daily habits – also creates many topics and issues I enjoy taking a deeper look at. I’ve written about the posthumous careers of the celebrity social media presence, I’ve discussed viral TikTok songs that speak to a larger issue, and I’m currently working on a piece about AI after encountering it through social media as well.
For me, social media helps me finds sources, inspiration on topics that are discussed there, and inspiration about its operation, power, and transformation as new tools and platforms arise.
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