How Two-Step Theory Affects the Way You Consume News Media
I’m a part of Gen-Z. That’s right, I spend too much time on my phone, I don’t read books as much as millennials, and most importantly: I get my news from social media. That last part might be a bit controversial for some, but it’s true for over half of individuals my age that rely on social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram more and more for news updates and current events.
Now, you might be thinking, “What does communication theory have to do with younger generations getting news from non-traditional sources?” Well, to be honest, a lot. A serious portion of early mass communication theory in the 1940s dealt with the Two-Step Theory and how it disproved the Hypodermic Needle/Magic Bullet Theory.
If you’re unfamiliar with the Two-Step theory, don’t sweat it. Check out this quick video for a more in-depth look at the ideas behind it and how it affects communication and media today:
According to the theory, the diffusion of information is much more complex than Bullet Theory suggests: media sending out messages to a mass audience, who are passive in their consumption and understanding of said messaging. Instead, the Two-Step Flow Theory suggests that this process is much more complex: Information first travels from the media to “Opinion Leaders” who interpret the information and then diffuse it to the rest of the public.
Our digital age and the prevalence of social media are prime examples of how this theory makes sense. Political figures and thought leaders are becoming the primary sources of information on our timelines. Politicians are more consistently becoming who we look towards for insights into news and current events.
Take New York representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as an example: who has amassed over 12.7M followers on Twitter, which is more than the NBC News, ABC News, and USA Today accounts.
However, this phenomenon can also prove dangerous. As more and more individuals look towards these figures on social media for their news and insight, there becomes more and more room for bias and misinformation to creep into messaging. Then there becomes the entirely separate issue of fake news and its impact on social media users, but that’s a topic for another time.
Shifting our focus back towards mass communication, we are more active in spreading information according to the Two-Step Flow Theory than we think. We may act as “Opinion Leaders” when it comes to sharing news within our social circles more often than you think. Have you ever been the first to see a current event headline or breaking news article pop up? Did you tell the friends or family you were with at the time? Well, guess what! You’re an opinion leader too.
I have a distinct memory of this happening to me a few years ago. I remember seeing the breaking news about the death of basketball superstar Kobe Bryant. I recall seeing the tweets mentioning a helicopter crash popping up on my Twitter feed as I was scrolling. At first, I didn’t believe it. In shock, I told my girlfriend, who was sitting next to me at the time. Neither of us could believe what we were reading. We ran downstairs in our college apartment to tell our friends and explained what we read so far. At that moment, I was an opinion leader for my friends, and the Two-Step Flow Theory of communication was demonstrated.
We can all be opinion leaders, and we encounter opinion leaders each and every day. As we become more and more reliant on social media platforms and digital methods for communication and news, we’re further demonstrating the intricacies of modern communication that make mass communication theory all the more consequential. Next time you’re scrolling through social media, consider what opinion leaders you’re getting information from. Understand where the messaging is coming from and whose opinion you might be subjecting yourself to. Maybe you’re even an opinion leader yourself. As media changes and society reacts, Communication theory is ever-evolving with it, and it’s changing every day with you too.
