We live in an extraordinary age. We have the ability to answer almost all questions and explore topics beyond our wildest dreams with the touch of one button. Google, and the internet at large, has allowed for any and everything to be available to us. With so much available to us at all times, how can we trust everything that we read? How can we know what sources are “accurate,” and which sources could use a fact-check? How can we protect ourselves and our mental health from the barrage of information coming at us daily?
So many posts on social media and articles online are created to make us feel a certain type of way, often negatively. An important way to protect ourselves from the bombardment of information that is the internet is by developing media literacy. Media literacy is our ability to critically analyze stories presented in the mass media in order to determine their credibility.
Here are some questions to ask yourself when presented online content to help you build up your media literacy:
- Am I on a website that uses an algorithm? If so… What is my algorithm trying to present to me?
- How did I frame my search? For example, if you were to Google, “Do people hate Justin Bieber?” You would certainly see articles, tweets, and posts shaming the artist. But, if you were to Google, “Do people love Justin Bieber?” You would arrive at fan accounts, tweets, and posts that praise the artist for his work.
- Who is presenting this information to me? Is this an article for a scholarly magazine or news outlet? Is this an Instagram story posted and reposted by a friend? Can I trust who this information comes from? It is also important to notice if/when a post on social media has sources attached. Often, someone will repost something that someone else wrote, that has not been fact-checked, researched, or backed up by trustworthy sources.
- Does the author of this article/tweet/post have an agenda? What is that agenda? 5. How do I interpret this piece of media? How might someone else interpret it? How might this piece of media affect someone of a different race/gender/ethnicity than me? 6. Is this piece of media relevant to me? Does it affect my daily functioning, or can I finish my day without engaging with this topic? 7. How does this content make me feel? Is this feeling impacting my life outside of my screen time? Should it?
About Amanda Kaliner:
Amanda Kaliner (she/her/hers) is a Resident in Counseling providing both telehealth and in-person sessions at Healthy Minds Therapy. Amanda has extensive experience working with adolescents in school, group therapy, and outpatient settings. She currently specializes in LGBTQIA+ issues, mood disorders, self-esteem, peer relations, and life transitions for adolescents in young adults ages 10 – 30.