We all read every day and every time knowingly or unknowingly. Even when we scroll on Facebook or Twitter we read the news feed or different posts. We are divided between on-screen and print reading. I remember the days how I use to wait for newspapers in the mornings and read it thoroughly before leaving for school. I use to solve puzzles, SUDUKO, and jumbles. Those days are now old school and we are more leaned towards technology. Now, I have separate apps in my phone for each task. I have different application for news, games, making notes, payments and so on. All in all, my screen time has increased and I feel incomplete without my phone or laptop. Now I read more kindle books rather than holding a hard copy in my hand. Internet has took the place of in-person meetings and now we all enjoy working in our comfort zones. For me reading is different when I am doing it online as I skim the text quickly. I concentrate more, when I hold a printed book in my hand and I can feel a connection with it.
With context to the article written by Naomi Baron’s- Reading in a digital age, students multitask when reading on screen as compared to the printed material. Digital screens are easier than a book as it provide many option such as — shortcuts to find word-meaning, page number, highlighting using using colors.
As the role of media has increased in our lives, the decision making or the sense of information has also changed. In a blink of eye we believe whatever we see on the social-media. It also connects to the FAKE NEWS. Without a second thought we share it with friends or start posting on our personal Facebook/Twitter page.
I liked the article shared by Chris – A Reminder That ‘Fake News’ Is An Information Literacy Problem – Not A Technology Problem, as it clearly explain that it is not the technology, it is the society that has failed. We don’t bother for the misinformation shared on the internet and simply ignore it or accept it. It is our failing society who drifts with the false information. I remember the days when Covid vaccines were made compulsory for everyone in India. There were rumors that this vaccine will make us impotent, or people will die within 2 years after getting this vaccine, or government is inserting some chips in our body by means of vaccination. This fake news was spread on social media, and everyone started believing it, especially the people living in rural areas. This was due to lack of literacy or information among people.
The article shared by Holly Fighting ‘Fake News’ in the Classroom, explains that how one can fight with the misinformation on media or news channels. Teachers should advice students how to use media in good ways and explain the definition of good journalism. Always do a fact check before believing any news that surprise you.
Think precisely, post carefully, make decisions rightly.
Covid totally exasperated fake news vs real news in my opinion. We really saw how social media played into mob mentalities based off of what I believed to be misinformation. It was extremely difficult to decipher all the information coming at us globally, nationally, and locally. My strategy was to just listen to what was being shared from Sask Health Authority and that was it; I trust our doctors with all my other health concerns so that is where I stopped. Did I know that there might be some false information, possibly but if I thought something was off I would have fact checked then. I had a few websites saved that I would go to every day just to see if information was the same.
I agree with you, Amanpreet and Christine, about the negative effects that misinformation has had during the pandemic. I also liked what you pointed out about rural areas possibly being misinformed – word of mouth travels fast in a small community! This topic has made me realize that I need to use these critical thinking skills even off of the internet when conversing with others about news topics face-to-face as well. These skills aren’t just for online!
I totally agree with your thoughts, Aman, fake news spread like a fire, and people who are not media literate share, comment, tweet more and more without looking at the actual source and facts about the information. When we talk about our school days, we were not that much information about the fake news or missed information but now there are a plethora of lesson plans and resources to guide school students. And as kids get older, parents or educators can help kids become more sophisticated critical thinkers.
very informative blog, there is no doubt, digital sites, and digital tools have made our life easier, but these are the major resources, who play an important role in spreading fake news, and fake materials. moreover, this is the main reason of media illiteracy, that’s why, people share, comment and post, without checking and verifying, whether it is right news or fake news.
You did a wonderful job of showing the positives and negatives associated with information in a digital age Amanpreet. I am of the same opinion of Christine, Kara, and yourself – I believe what the health authority states because of their position in society, health professionals. The misinformation and disinformation, sifting through it looking for truth and comparing it with what I was receiving from the Sask Health Authority wore me down over the last two years. I found it much easier to just look for information from the SHA and ignore everything else. Eventually I was simply overwhelmed with the relentless bombardment of information on the topic and rarely read up on it now.
Good job explaining the positives and negatives of the digital information world. Like Bart, I too felt like I should be able to trust the SHA as they are our governing health agency that is supposed to be looking out for the greater good of the public, their health, and their safety. However, over the course of the pandemic, I realized how much they were controlled by the government and what information they were releasing wasn’t always in the best interest of public health. I had consumed myself with reading SHA updates daily and watching the IMPORTANT UPDATES on tv (which were never really that important or new). I lost a lot of respect for our government and our SHA, and find myself rarely checking in on their latest news or really believing what they have to say.