Why Media Literacy matters in your PLN

What is media literacy?

Media Literacy should be an essential quality of people. People first need to obtain information and evaluate it after thinking about it independently. (Media Literacy Fundamentals,2017) And post people’s views online. It’s actually like an ability that people show. Having the right media literacy can help people adapt better to society and express their views on things.

Why is it important?

If people do not have the right media literacy, it may lead to the proliferation of false information. Because reports on the same news on the Internet may have distinct results. When people do not verify the wrong information and make comments on the Internet, which will make their opinions be wrong and it is very likely to be seen by others, causing other people to have misunderstanding.

Why is it dismissed?

I think it’s hard to change people’s thinkings. When people begin to collect information, they will make judgments and subconscious evaluations of the information collected. In fact, the information of other people on the Internet can rarely change your own opinions. In addition, everyone should have their own opinions, because if everyone’s ideas are the same, everyone in the world will be the same.

Why should you aim for varied views but the factual consensus in your PLN?

People have discussion on some topics because their ideas can not reach consensus, and the discussion on information on the internet can make people think more deeply. So then, people can pay attention to this topic. If all people can reach a consensus, they will often forget about it quickly. At the same time, they will not reflect on the mistakes they made in the incident. Although arguments may lead to misunderstanding, and even prevent people from reaching the right conclusions. But I think that only by continuous discussion and reflection can we make social progress.

Reference：

Media Literacy Fundamentals. MediaSmarts. (2017, January 19). Retrieved November 16, 2021, from https://mediasmarts.ca/digital-media-literacy/general-information/digital-media-literacy-fundamentals/media-literacy-fundamentals.