When you are in high school, it means you are nearing adulthood, which also means that understanding what is going on in the world around you becomes more important. You should keep up with current events to be aware of the world around you and also to understand why you support what you do when it comes time to vote. At a certain point, ignorance becomes unacceptable. In high school, this knowledge may not yet be necessary, but it is never too early to familiarize oneself with the world you live in and learn how to navigate information to avoid exaggeration, deception, and bias.  

When asked, 66% of respondents said they feel educated about current events. Whether all of them truly are is hard to tell. A whopping 76% of students get their news from social media or other people around them. Additionally, only 10% said that they fact check all information found on social media, 66% said that they only fact check sometimes, and 24% said that they never do. While social media can be a great starting point, it can also be the breeding ground for biases that cause exaggeration that turn into lies. All it takes is a Google search to find an article from a reliable source confirming or debunking the information seen on platforms like TikTok and Instagram.  

So which sources do those 22% of students that look to news outlets for information put their trust in, whether it is for fact checking, watching news, or reading articles?  When asked which sources they used, 19% simply answered Google. While not technically a news outlet, it is a good starting point when looking for trustworthy information, and not everyone has one source that they look to consistently. Common answers were ABC, NBC, New York Times, and Fox. All of these sources have recorded biases, with ABC, NBC, and New York Times leaning left (liberal), and Fox typically favoring right (conservative) perspectives. This is why it is important to use multiple sources for verifying information, ideally from opposing sides, to ensure that you are getting the full story and so you can consider both perspectives when forming an opinion. 

There are also platforms that are recognized for their objective reporting that can be used when looking for unbiased facts. AP News is a widely trusted source with a reputation for keeping   opinion out of their reporting entirely. Another source that can be used when looking for raw information is BBC, with the advantage of being a British broadcaster giving an unbiased outsiders perspective on American events. Local news sources are also known for leaving opinions and bias out of their reporting. Some students, when asked which news outlet they preferred to use, answered TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter. While social media platforms can hold information with truth to it, and reliable outlets can post onto these apps, they should not be the sole source of news for someone wanting to stay educated on the world around them. 

Many highschoolers already seem to have a head start on keeping up with the world around them, while others may need to invest more time in fact checking and learning what sources to trust. 63% of those asked think that only some of their peers are educated on current events, while 7% think that others are not educated on current events at all.  The students of West have a lot to consider in order to learn more about what’s going on in the world and how to navigate different sources before entering adulthood in a time when misinformation, confusion, and manipulation seem to be at an all-time high.