Post 1: My Top 5 Sources of News and Information

My Personal Top 5 Sources of News and Information (and why)

Like almost everyone, I receive my regular intake of news and information from various sources. Whether I am watching TV, browsing the internet, or just chatting with my friends, I have access to information about the world around me. Here are my personal top 5 sources for news and information. 

Number 5: Television

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I feel like television is an obvious choice, as nearly everybody uses their TV to access their news. Whether it is the early morning before work or late at night before bed, there are an ample amount of news channels to tune in to. However, I have TV ranked in my fifth spot. This is mostly due to the fact that I am a teenager, and most people in my age group don't watch the news channel. Like many Americans, I don't have cable, nor do I own a TV. I prefer to use my laptop, as I always have it with me anyways. When I want to watch my favorite shows, I utilize streaming services instead of cable, as sometimes they don't even have advertisements. I will add that this changes significantly from person to person, as my parents receive probably close to ninety percent of their news from the news channel on their TV. With that being said, the television ranks number five on my list. 

Number 4: Twitter (X)

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Twitter is one of those apps where you can find just about anything. With an estimated 500 million tweets a day, Twitter is one of the most popular apps available. To better put that in perspective, thats roughly 6000 tweets every single second. I personally don't use Twitter as much as some other people, strictly due to the fact that it is mostly public figures arguing with each other or they are just promoting their brands. However, sometimes it can be fun to hear what celebrities talk about and what they are interested in. I mainly use Twitter for updates on sports, influencer news, and information consisting of what the general public has to say about certain world events. My usage of Twitter is definitely increasing as I begin to follow more and more people. So, if I were to make this list in a few months, Twitter may rank higher. As for now, I only use it once every few days. 

Number 3: Friends and social life

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Of course, I receive a bunch of information from my friends that I talk to. We always talk about other people, local events, sports, worldly events, and just about everything you would expect. As a rather extroverted and social person, I spend a lot of my time chatting with people about a variety of topics. I chose to categorize this as one of my sources of news and information because it is simply a method of doing just that. Of course, the stories I hear from my friends, family, and coworkers aren't always going to be the most accurate source of information. However, it comes close to being my most frequent source of knowledge nowadays. 

Number 2: Reddit

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Using Reddit is definitely one of my personal favorite methods of receiving news and information. This is due to how easy it is to find the exact answers to the questions I have. Chances are, if I have a problem with something, somebody else has already had the same problem. After a quick search, I can usually find a whole thread of random people who helped another random person with their issue. The best part about the answers is that they are from regular people and not businesses that give out useless automated responses. This is extremely helpful as you know the person on the other end has discovered the same problem as you. I also use reddit to receive regular news and updates about many topics that I am interested in. Their are thousands of very specific communities where people talk about very specific topics. For example, I am very interested in photography, so I joined a community full of people with the exact same camera model as me. This way, I can ask very specific questions that have a high likely hood of being answered. This is so important to me because this means I won't waste a lot of time with reading information that has zero interest to me. 

Number 1: Instagram

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I believe that Instagram takes the number one spot on my list without much competition. I have used my original Instagram account consistently since April of 2013 (yes I checked). I also have started my own freelance photography business, with a secondary account being used to organize it all. Between these two accounts, I send and receive a lot of information on a daily basis. I follow a lot of my friends that I have met over the years on Instagram, and it is how we keep it touch while at college. When they post, I am able to see exactly what my friends are doing. Typically, people post about certain accomplishments, places they're visited, and people they've met. All of this is information I consume regularly. Also, I follow a bunch of businesses and celebrities that I enjoy keeping up to date with. All of this news keeps me captivated to the app, as it is all relevant to me and to what I like to pay attention to.