I am a firm believer that every individual learns by listening, seeing, and doing. Most things that I have learned in life, I have learned from others.

Young children learn by asking their parents questions. Sometimes they are simply able to teach themselves new things by watching other people, and then doing the act themselves.

As we become adults in life, we practice these same principles to gain our own knowledge. With technology advancing and Social Media becoming more prominent, we must ask ourselves if “social media is reliable for obtaining credible information?”

One of my favorite hobbies is to view my twitter feed. Today I learned that there are 71 more days until kickoff for the NFL season. Because this information was released by the NFL Network, I believe it is true.

Some might challenge the information I learned today. They could say this information is not true knowledge and it is just interesting information. Others would say this is great, but tell me something about the economy or advancements in the world.

My example of the NFL and the NFL Network is specific to my life. Much of my Social Media consists of following my favorite sports and heros. What about people who visit LinkedIn frequently? People are always posting links to articles about valuable information in the world.

Social Media sites are reliable for obtaining credible information. We, as readers, must constantly evaluate what we are reading. We should challenge the information and then reach conclusions after checking the original sources.

Different forms of new media have made society greater consumers of media. This definitely holds true to my daily life. Every day I use my smart phone, explorer the internet, and use social media. Each of these is considered new media.

My smart phone gives me the ability to do almost anything I want, and where ever I want. I am able to send text messages and look at apps while sitting at the park. Most of my apps are designed to give me discounts when I shop, or provide sports related updates.

I enjoy visiting websites and browsing the internet with some of my down time. Before I buy something, I will always make sure that I have done my research. Online review sites allow consumers to make more informed decisions.

My biggest use of Social Media comes from twitter and LinkedIn. I am eager to see what one of my biggest sports hero’s is going to say. I must admit that I follow a few sports blogs that are out there. This shows me what other sports fans are saying.

Social Media has influenced my perspective of events because I am able to see what sports stars are saying about major sporting events(twitter). LinkedIn discloses what other people are saying about different companies. Public Relations disasters are made known to me, and if it weren’t for Social Media, I probably would never know of the event.

Social Media usually has a negative impact on my perspective. I am usually told what companies are doing that people do not like. Occasionally, I believe Social Media does have a positive impact on my perspective. If I read a good blog review, then my mindset changes for the better. For the most part, Social Media will often have negative impacts on society’s perspective. For every good thing that happens, someone will tell 1 friend. For every bad thing that happens, someone will tell 10 friends.