How to Follow the News Without Going Crazy

Did you know that roughly 6 out of 10 links shared on social media are posted by people who never actually read the full article? They just read the headline. This means a lot of the “news” you see is being spread by people who don’t have the full story. The good news is that you can learn to spot the difference between a dramatic headline and the real facts, and stay informed without getting overwhelmed.

Your social media feed is a constant stream of news, opinions, and updates. It can be hard to know what’s true, what’s an exaggeration, and what’s just designed to make you angry. Learning to navigate this is a superpower called news literacy.First, know that every source has some bias, which is just a point of view. It doesn’t automatically make a source bad, but it means you need to look at more than one to get the full picture. It's also key to know the difference between a news article (which reports facts) and an opinion piece (which argues a point of view). Many people share opinions thinking they are facts.Your social media apps also create an echo chamber. They show you things they think you’ll like, which means you mostly see posts from people who already agree with you. This can...

Zara, 14, saw a post that made her furious: “New Law Will Ban All Phones in Public Spaces for Teens!” She imagined not being able to text her friends from the park or the mall. Without even clicking the link, she shared it with the caption, “This is so unfair!” Later, her dad saw it and asked, “Where did you read that?” They looked it up together. The original article was an opinion piece, not a news report. The proposed rule was for just one city, not the whole country, and it only applied to school buildings during class hours. Zara felt a little embarrassed. She realized that the headline was designed to make her angry, but the real story was much less dramatic.