The Most Pressing Issue Facing Jews Today: Social Media and Misinformation,

Charlotte Jewish News May 2022

By Natalie Ben-Yohanan

As a Jewish teen, I have experienced the horrors of antisemitism on social media platforms. In modern society, social media has a huge prevalence in most of our lives, creating yet another platform for antisemetic posts, comments, and messages to be shared. Social media allows millions of users to view and share posts, as well as stories. We have all been taught at a young age that not everything we see on social media is true. Much of the information found regarding Jews and Israel on social media is either false or taken out of context, harming Jews all over the world.

I believe that the most pressing issue facing Judaism today is the spreading and sharing of misinformation across various social media platforms. Misinformation, although it isn’t credible, shapes the opinions of millions of social media users. As an example, we can take a look at May 2021, a time period where tensions between Israel and Hamas increased and received global media attention. As the conflict gained more attention,

many people, including those that hadn’t done previous research on the topic, began reposting infographics filled with misinformation and accusations regarding Israel and Judaism. Even here in Charlotte, I engaged in discussions about the topic and found that people I knew had developed biases based on what they saw on social media. Along with anti-Israel arguments, these posts were filled with antisemitism. When people blindly follow others in reposting and sharing content without any prior research, they are harming the overall image and safety of the Jewish people.

To those that have not done prior research, what they see on social media stays ingrained in their minds and forms biases.

Due to this, I see the spread of misinformation as the most pressing issue facing Judaism today. Anti-Zionist ideas, antisemitism, and blatant hatred are spread on social media, harming Jews all over the world. To combat this, we must use our voices to educate those around us. Starting small, we can engage in conversations with our classmates and friends about Judaism and why antisemitism online is such a large threat. As part of ClubZ, an organization dedicated to helping Jewish teens advocate and educate others, I have learned about Jewish history and am able to use this information to educate others, both online and in person, and encourage others to speak up as well. Social media isn’t going anywhere, and we will still be presented with the problem of misinformation, but even in our small numbers, Jews can work together to educate others and advocate for our community.

Natalie Ben-Yohanan is a 10th grade student at Hough High School. She is involved in organizations including ClubZ, NFTY, and was part of the First Jewish Youth Assembly, sponsored but the World Jewish Congress.