Traditional & Social Media Unite As the influence of social
media grows, the impact of traditional media has been questioned
more and more. Who reads a newspaper these days when your news
can be delivered through tweets? Who watches television or
listens to the radio when you canwatch clips on YouTube? While
it is true that readership and viewership numbers are declining,
traditional and social media work in concert to change consumer
behavior. There is no need to choose one over the other. The key
is finding the right balance, especially for health information.
While the traditional assumption is that mainstream media
provides the “hard facts”, as recent Pew Internet research has
shown, social media focuses more on exchanging this information
with others. For example, according to their research, one in
four internet users with a chronic condition say they have gone
online seeking the advice of others with similar health
concerns. That said, though, mainstream media often acts as a
catalyst for those discuss