Week 13: EOTO, Pt. 1

Gatekeeping is an incredibly important part of today’s society. It distinguishes what information is seen by the masses, and what is not. Today’s world is flooded with fraudulent information that is passed, “through the gate” by anyone with a cell phone and a desire for attention. The amount of websites, social media sites, news networks, and individuals I have lost trust in over the last few years is absurd. Now more than ever, proper gatekeeping needs to be preserved and spread across the world. People shouldn’t have to guess or even do extensive research on what information is being given to them by the news. the affect that this has had on myself as well as my generation is horrid. I’ve literally stopped going on social media as well as keeping up with the news at some points because I either can’t decipher what is actually real and what isn’t, or because I’m frustrated by the overwhelming amount of people who attempt to trick people with the most obvious click-bait scams or misinformation. The amount of fake crap that I’ve seen on Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, and Twitter is disgusting. Also, the only thing that it promotes on these platforms is arguments. The second somebody posts a YouTube video with a thumbnail that blatantly lies regarding what the video will be about, the comments get filled with arguments about how stupid some people could be to believe this, or how dumb the creator of the video is for uploading it. Improper gatekeeping is creating a negative environment for everyone. This link discusses the importance of gatekeeping journalist’s in today’s world. The author’s first words come from a cited source that say, “If everyone’s a journalist, then no one is.” This statement couldn’t be more true. Our society NEEDS to focus on what is actually happening in the world instead of what might get the most views.