With the recent passing of Robin Williams and Lauren Bacall, it struck me how we are getting our news. While some continue to use TV and radio for breaking news, the rise of social networking and digital feeds has taken over as the first source of information. Some heard through push notifications from their Breaking News app, others from their Twitter or Facebook feeds. It has become our primary source for news and information, literally moments after it happened.
At the same time, we also find ourselves questioning the info. Is it a hoax or true? Do we accept the first tweet as gospel or wait for more verification to authenticate the story. Because social networking is open to all to post, we don't trust it as much as a more verifiable news outlet. The adage, trust, but verify, is often taken into consideration.
The other thing I noticed was how quickly online sites used this breaking news to remind us of the great work left behind. Huffington Post, Buzzfeed , and others quickly created articles like 17 of the most memorable Robin Williams movie quotes and 10 Robin WIlliams TV appearances you forgot about. We find ourselves both mourning as well as celebrating a life.
As we have become more and more connected, we expect news and information to be delivered instantaneously. No longer can we wait for the morning edition of the newspaper to arrive to learn more details or wait till the nightly news on TV for latest updates. Our smartphones and tablets have become even more important to us in receiving content. But don't be naive that it is entirely truthful either. Given the speed of sharing, not all the facts may be in.
