The Value of Being Media and Information Literate



  Often, when we hear the words “media and information literate,” we assume that it only has to do with being knowledgeable with information and the skill of using different forms of media (ex: social media) with ease. Because of this, most millennials think that they are literate in media and information. Albeit, it runs much deeper than that. 
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   Media and Information Literacy is defined as the “combination of knowledge, attitudes, skills, and practices required to access, analyze, evaluate, use, produce, and communicate information and knowledge in creative, legal and ethical ways that respect human rights.”1  The problem is that not all of us are literate in media and information. Thus, we are not able to maximize our use of the different forms of media, effectively communicate with others, and analyze and evaluate the information around us. One example of being illiterate with information is believing in an article shared by your friend on Facebook about the end of the Earth on December 2020 without even checking if it is supported by evidences and/or if it reliable or trustworthy and/or if it is only backed up by speculations. Sadly, the spread of fake news is only growing day by day, especially with the constant increase of the number of social media platforms and the articles being published. 



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  You may ask, why is being literate in media and information valuable? Well, it is valuable because of a number of reasons. The first of which is being able to be an effective and competent part of the society. When we are literate in both of these areas, we are able to spread and acquire factual information to and from others and we are also able to create and obtain content using the different platforms of media smoothly and conveniently. Another reason why these skills are so valuable is because they are diverse skills which simply means they can be used in almost all types of contexts and situations. For example, being proficient with information and media can help you immensely with your education, in the workplace, and even just by scrolling through your phones and reading articles of different sorts. Finally, these skills can help you save so much time. The 21st century is dubbed as the Digital Age or the Information Age because of the types of new electronics (i.e. personal computers and smartphones) invented and most especially, the creation of the Internet during this period.2 Hence, when we want to know about something, that specific information is just at the tip of our fingers, just as long as we have an internet connection. Speed, accessibility, and the skills of being media and information literate can help us maximize our potential in obtaining knowledge, whether it be from the internet, television, or newspapers.


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References:

¹ Moscow Declaration on Media and Information Literacy, 2012

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