Can Social Media be considered a Primary Source just like letters and diaries?

You can use Social Media and Blogs as primary sources just like letters and diaries, however, you need to be very careful when verifying the information before you use it, and you may not find anything worth using. 

We used letters and diaries written during significant historical events as primary sources. Most of these sources were written to give the reader a view into what was happening to the writer at the time. They give insight and a first-hand account of the historical events. Not all letters written during that time period are useful as sources.  

There are some things posted to social media that can be primary sources, however, most of the things posted are trivial and have no real bearing on important research topics. For example, people are posting images of what they are eating for dinner. There is no real use for this information. It does not give any real insight into anything that you would be researching. You will need to sift through a great deal of this trivial information in order to find something of value. 

Many people do not verify what they see before re-posting, and are spreading around hoaxes and false information. I have read post about famous people dying, who in fact they are alive and well. I have read post about horrible things the government has done, that were false, and meant to turn you against that political party. It has gotten so bad,  check everything out before I will accept anything post as fact. I can not see these types of posts being useful in any type of research, except as an example of false information or propaganda.  

Blogs can be very good sources for researchers. Most bloggers will research their topic before writing their piece. Others will give a detailed opinion on a given topic that works just as well as a diary would. Blogs are full of useful information, and links to other pages that you could use for your research. I have used blogs for research when I am writing, and they have been very useful. You do still need to verify their accuracy, and you will have bias in these pieces.  

Social Media can be a valuable look into the digital culture of today. The posts show you how people think and feel about the world around them. You just need to be careful what you use, because these sources can be tainted by bias and inaccuracy. However, so can letters, diaries, and other personal writings from people of the past.