Accepted Articles

Abstract: Society has seen a rapid growth of technology and social media use in recent years as traditional newspapers, broadcasters, and magazines have experienced a loss of subscribers and revenue to online news sources. Despite having negative effects on traditional journalists, the recent rise of social media and technology has opened up new possibilities for journalists and even independent individuals. News is now able to circulate through social media platforms and reach users at unprecedented numbers. Writers can spread stories across the globe, extending to distant audiences (Wahl-Jorgensen, 2016). As of late, social media has played an instrumental role in spreading urgent news, including, but not limited to, natural disasters, political updates, and safety precautions. This study examined how social media affects current events knowledge, aiming to identify if there is a correlation between teenagers’ use of social media as a primary news source, daily screen time, social media platforms, and current event knowledge. As well as, a correlation between teenagers’ knowledge of sports news and knowledge of entertainment news. At a local high school on Long Island, New York, seventy-nine students from ninth to twelfth grade were surveyed using an assessment titled Current Events Knowledge Analysis. Data was analyzed using a Chi-Square Test of Independence with one significant finding made: there is a correlation between teenagers’ knowledge of sports news and knowledge of entertainment news. These results will allow news outlets and organizations to better understand and connect with audiences.

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