In my opinion, it’s an exciting time to be in the field of education. The education world felt in need of a good shake up, and it seems like we’re there. I’m enamored with all the resources and research we have access to as Penn State students, and all of the course work ties directly into my experiences right now, and I absolutely love it. I get the best of both worlds because my actual job feels like field work for Penn State research. Although it isn’t, it’s opening my eyes to different aspects of distance learning through our readings.
This week’s reading’s on digital media literacy, to me, feels like its swept under the rug. Districts around the United States are throwing technology at the problems hoping it solves it. However, not all students are the cyber-kids we assume they are. They still need guidance and help like everybody else. What I find fascinating, is that teachers are traditionally viewed as the subject matter expert to teach students. But many of the teachers, especially the older generation, are not experts when it comes to technology.
As the younger generation of teachers populate classrooms, we share a lot of the same struggles our students do: the ability to find and trust credible sources. I remember growing up the phrase was “well it’s on the internet…it must be true!” This was always a tongue and cheek comment because we knew you can’t trust information simply because it is on the internet. However, I’m not sure if the younger generation understood that the phrase was a joke…
Trends online on social media debut and in a matter of days, it’s seen by thousands and duplicated. Take for example the ice bucket challenge. People were pouring ice cold water on themselves to support ALS, a nasty disease. But how many of those people who dumped water on themselves donated to an ALS foundation? I think it would be fair to say many did it for the views, follows, and likes. For those that donated, it was a very charitable move.
However we’ve seen trends online that just scream STUPIDITY! For a while there, the younger generation took to eating Tide Pods. Let me repeat that…They. Ate. Tide. Pods. Actual laundry detergent, people willingly consumed, recorded themselves doing it and posted the content to the Web. What in the actual…heck are they doing? Are they really that stupid to consume Tide Pods? Why did they do it? Simply put, others did online…which must’ve meant it was a great idea, right? It’s on the internet…it must be true!
Anybody with 1/3 of a brain cell SHOULD know not to eat laundry detergent…
There was also a trend of putting your forearm on a hot burning stove. Again…WHY? Because others did. Because a vulnerable and feeble-minded tweenager watched the video and thought…Hey, I’ll do that too.
Sigh..
The sad part is most adults assume children know that some of these trends are wrong and just outright dangerous. They’re kids…They’re vulnerable and easily influenced, no wonder they make these stupid decisions for some follows. “Going viral” is a claim to fame anymore no matter how you earned your internet clout.
So when it comes to deciphering credible sources online, I’m not in the slightest bit surprised our nation’s youth struggles to sift between quality information and ridiculous claims. Fake news has become commonplace anymore, and folks are judged based on where they get their news. Claiming “I watch CNN” or “I watch Fox News” is incredibly divisive anymore…but people watch what suits their interests.
Many of the gentlemen at the hunting club where I am a member are Fox News aficionados. Don’t you dare throw on CNN unless you’d like to be ridiculed relentlessly. My point is, the media stream you choose anymore speaks to how others perceive you.
It’s actually sad that I’ve needed to search the Web on the most neutral news sources and questioned the reliability of sites I visited trying to find information on factual news outlets. For a while I listed to Wall Street Journal’s Daily News Podcast which was 5 news stories that totaled up to roughly 30 minutes, and I felt that was about as neutral as you could get, and I’d make my own determinations from there. But I question myself when I turn on the television to watch the news on different networks…Is this true? Can I trust this news source? How is the information presented trying to form biases?
The ability to decipher factual and propaganda, I believe, should definitely be a part of school. I can remember my teachers advising us to not use Wikipedia, but nowadays I always find Wikipedia to be everything I need and more. Now, I encourage my students to use Wikipedia as a reliable conglomeration of perspective and information. Our goal is to create thinkers and problem solvers out of our students. Students need to be able to discern between of misleading bias and educational fact…if not for their own health and safety.