It is extremely important that high school students learn about the news. At the top is that they get the news from the correct websites and channels. It is a well-known fact that most high school students get their news from social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook, etc. 

Getting news from these platforms can be dangerous because many times it is false information. Social media is not the place to look for important information, that is why we have news channels. However, even some of those can be sketchy. It needs to be known that even some news channels aren’t always reliable sources. 

When students were asked, anonymously, about what the last thing they heard about in the news was, most spoke about Gypsy Rose or Epstein Island. These are big topics in the news right now, but the main source of that information was found on social media. Some students even talked about global warming and the huge impact it is having on the world right now. 

A few students claimed that they find out information about news topics first on social media. Then, they dive deeper into the topic by watching news channels or reading reliable articles on the internet. Instead of just believing all of the information off of social media.

A poll was created to see what Herrin High School students know about the news. Which more than half of the students who responded to the survey said they keep up with the news sometimes. 14.8% of the students said they don’t keep up with current events at all, whereas 31% claimed that they do. 

Students were also asked if they believed that their classmates also kept up with the news. 32.2% said no and 48.6% said sometimes. This means that only 16.2% of students believe their classmates watch the news. That is low. 

It is important that high school students stay involved and watch the news. Mostly, because students need to know what is going on in the world outside of the town and area that they live in. Without being knowledgeable about real-world events, disaster could occur. 

Knowing what is going on also heightens your critical and analytical thinking. This is important because it helps you recognize what is true and not. It also allows you to develop your own opinions and thoughts on critical matters. This lets you make smart and informed decisions. 

Some beneficial news channels could be Fox News, CNN, BBC News, or ABC News. Also, when it comes to websites, you should tend to stick to .org, .edu, or .gov.  It is vital not to gatekeep what we know, and share it with others. Especially if we can make this information more available.