24-Hour Media Diet: Spotting Misinformation

10:45 a.m. : Wake up and pick up my phone to see two news alerts from The New York Times. I saw the article What Do We Owe This Cluster of Cells? as well as a "The Morning" alert. I read the article and it was an opinion piece on when a fertilized embryo should be terminated. The article was filled with a lot of scientific research but I was likely notified about this story because I regularly read articles on women's right.

11:27 a.m.: I sit on the couch with my family and open TikTok. Immediately after opening TikTok I have an advertisement on my feed for a dress. The person wearing the dress is a similar size and build as me. She explains why the dress works for her body and likely my phone targeted this ad to me based on other things I have bought and the size of things I typically buy.

1:46 p.m.: After reading a book on Cuba and for an upcoming trip I have planned. I went on Instagram to see what picture people were taking on their trips to Havana and the places they were highlighting. While looking through some Instagram stories. I received continuous advertisements for EF Ultimate Break trips. I was likely getting these ads because of the content I was looking at and the fact my phone recognizes my age and demographic.

2:45 p.m.: I went back on TikTok and got an advertisement for "Nature's Ozempic" which was really a combination of gummy vitamins. The vitamins have not been approved by the FDA as a weight loss drug or supplement after a quick Google search. While I don't know why I was specifically targeted this advertisement, I inferred It's because others within my demographic are purchasing it. This appeared to be a case of mis- and semi-false information.

3:18 p.m.: While I was back on Instagram after receiving a notification from my friend, I was quickly given a sponsored post from @democracyhouseusa. The post was encouraging young applicants to join a conference style event and called it a "free, fully virtual fellowship." I was likely advertised this based on the people I follow online. This sponsorship was interesting because it wasn't trying to encourage I buy a product or give a company money.

10:36 p.m.: After spending time with my family, I was getting ready for bed and went back on TikTok. While on TikTok, it took more time than usual before getting an advertisement or sponsored content that I could recognize. After some time I saw a video with not many likes but was recommending a "luxury satin sheet set." This advertisement was interesting because it didn't feel like a company's advertisement but likely a regular person who was paid to put out promotional content. I also came to this conclusion because a disclosure on the video said "Creator earns commission." I was likely given this content because it talked about how the sheets welp control hair and acne.

Conclusion: I was surprised by the advertisements I get. Misinformation is so common these days but I think as a journalist and younger person, I might be less prone to believing misinformation and therefore less likely to have it come across my social media and media in general. I would be interested to see how advertisements change with someone who struggles more to identify misinformation and disinformation.