In recent months, social media has been abundant with articles that claim our generation is too sensitive, too soft. More specifically, these pieces are mainly being shared on Facebook and it is no new occurrence. Facebook is notorious for the spread of misinformation. Users read only the headline of an article, specified to spark outrage and share the post without reading further or fact-checking it. This is exactly what the false media outlets count on.

This holiday season, countless articles have been shared about the new title of "gingerbread persons" for the Christmas treat. One of the articles was titled, "Scottish Parliament Staff Banned From Saying 'Gingerbread Men' At Holyrood Coffee Shop." The article grabbed the attention of many Facebook users and started quite the outrage. Another article that caused a controversy on the platform was: "Some Say It's Time For A Gender Neutral Santa." People claimed that this overly sensitive generation was trying to ruin Christmas when in reality, both stories were mostly false.

In regards to the gingerbread persons, the Scottish Parliament had nothing to do with the decision and has not banned the term "gingerbread men." In fact, the decision came entirely from the caterers of the restaurant. A personal decision made by one shop was blown out of proportion. The worst part about it is that people actually believed it, just as they believed there was a real fight for a gender-neutral Santa. That information derived from a very small survey conducted by a graphic design company. The company surveyed only 4,000 people from the US and the UK. This questionnaire asked whether people would choose male, female, or gender-neutral as the gender of redefined Saint Nick. Less than 18% of people answered "gender-neutral."

Both of these stories were picked up by major news outlets such as Fox and DailyMail. Facebook users have been lured into a false sense of trust when it comes to the mainstream news providers and seldom fact-check the posts they're sharing. Had people taken a closer look at both stories, they would have realized they were mostly dramatized.

So, the truth is, both stories were inaccurate depictions of the public's opinion that were virally spread due to ignorance. As digital media users, we have to take responsibility for the material we share on these platforms. No, this generation is not too sensitive; the media creates enticing stories and the people buy into them. No one cares what gingerbread men are called or the gender of Santa.

Next time you see a post that revolves around the notion of "generation snowflake," be sure to double check the facts before sharing. Understand that the media creates drama around stories that will capture your attention and reel you in. Don't be so naive to believe what they are feeding you. Independently formulate your own opinion based on proven facts and reliable sources instead of just clicking "share" on the latest viral article.