What is Media Literacy?

Media literacy is the skill to critically analyze information that is consumed from social media or other online sources. Because of rapid technological advancements, social media is heavily ingrained in people’s everyday lives and consumes a lot of its users’ time and attention. This allows users to have access to all kinds of information, making this type of literacy crucial. However this skill is rarely taught, despite the evident need for conscious information consumption. Current research on this topic focuses on how media literacy should be taught in schools for children and teenagers. Upon analyzing current research, it seems that the youth that have grown up alongside with the development of technology is the most knowledgeable about how to use it, and how to interact with technology and social media.

Well, let’s say that you are scrolling through your newsfeed on instagram. And you come across a post that you find interesting and want to share it with your followers. So you add it to your story. Then a few hours later, you find that your inbox is filled with direct messages from different people, who are disagreeing with the content, saying that it’s uninformed, offensive, or that the information is not accurate.  After the criticism, you’ve gained more perspective on the post, and can understand why it’s not something you completely align your values with. Now media literacy is the practice to critically evaluate when engaging with social media.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. I only post on my finsta account, and it’s private anyways, so only my close friends can see what I post. 

But social media literacy is much more than thinking before you share, it’s about the information you consume. Because let’s face it, your phone is more than just a device, its an extension of your mind, it’s on you at all times, and everything you can access from it.  The next few blog posts are going to dive into ways to be more literate when it comes to social media and raise awareness of your online presence and how to navigate it safely.