"It’s not simply the fact that they don’t know—it’s that they don’t even realize they don’t know. The lack of awareness about credible sources, the inability to differentiate between opinion and fact, and the blind trust in algorithms have created a perfect storm of misinformation and passivity." OH GOD YEESSSS!!! It is disheatening to see.
oh my goodness i absolutely LOVE your writing!! thank you so much for reading and I totally agree, schools need to bring more core humanities subjects back for good
sooo important! and a reflection i've been trying to put into words for so long. it's not just about education, it's about our ability to fully, actively, consciously participate in society!
absolutely! you’ve put it so perfectly, it’s about more than just education; it’s about having the space and agency to truly engage and shape the world around us.
I’ve taught graduate students who don’t have media literacy. I would tell them you need peer reviewed sources and some had no idea what I was talking about. I had to report a few for plagiarism because they weren’t able to cite resources and you can see when they’ve used ChatGPT. Again graduate students! I’m not sure what went wrong where because for them to be at that level and not have a basic understanding of media literacy which was drilled into me in my AP Lit class is scary
Wow, that’s honestly so alarming. The fact that graduate students are reaching that level without even a basic grasp of media literacy or proper citation is a huge red flag for how broken the system is. It’s wild to think about how much foundational knowledge is being skipped over, and you’re so right it’s been scary as a teacher to see the disconnect 😭 it really shows how urgent it is to rebuild our foundations in schools
As a student that fell between the cracks, in what I already considered, a broken education system I couldn’t agree more. The lack of drive in understanding the beauty of diving deeper into sources and discovering the reason for x, y, and z is something I cannot explain. Although AI could be used as a tool, the manner in which it’s used now is not it.
I immediately subscribed after reading this piece.
Thank you so much for sharing and for subscribing! I totally get what you mean—falling through the cracks in a system that’s already so broken is such a frustrating experience and as a teacher we also feel like we are falling through the cracks as well. :( There’s so much value in slowing down, diving deeper, and really discovering the “why” behind things, but it feels like that’s getting lost.
I am actually reviving my essay about the broken education system from my perspective. I am looking forward to re-editing my high school essay and see the growth, if any.
I find myself coming back to your essay and loving it more and more each time. :)
Loved this ! I am always concerned for my younger sibling and his experiences as a teenager on the internet .. It is all too easy for young boys to become red pilled and a lack of media literacy/ analytical skills certainly does not help
Thank you so much! I totally get where you’re coming from, especially because the internet can feel like a minefield, and it’s so scary how easily they can stumble into harmful bandwagons. I think what really helps is encouraging more reading, whether it’s literature or articles, because they often explore and reflect real-world issues in a way that sparks critical thinking. It’s definitely not easy, but having an older sibling like you to guide them through makes such a huge difference :)
This was so well articulated and I can't wait to see what you write next! I honestly have so many issues with the lack of media literacy in younger generations including my own, and how it seems like everyone is constantly taking information at face-value rather than questioning things. I was so lucky I had good teachers in high school. They taught me how to critically think and analyse texts and their contexts (i.e. when/why something was published, media ownership, framing etc). I wish media literacy classes were a separate subject in school curriculum and made mandatory for all students.
thank you so much! yes the real issue is the rise of social media, where companies and publications cater to younger generations' preference for quick, explicit content which really diminishes media literacy and critical thinking 😭
😂 i was teaching the poetry unit in class that day! iambic pentameter is a popular poetic meter (especially in Shakespeare) where it refers to a line that consists of ten syllables. an iamb refers to two syllables where its a pair of unstressed - stressed syllables. so, putting it together, iambic pentameter has five pairs of iambs!
omg i love that and I think I get what you’re saying in theory but I’ve never been able to put it into practice and actually hear it poetry always goes over my head
i still haven't reconciled that viral tik-tok where some girl complains about a book having Too Many Words. praise your contribution <3
i know exactly which TikTok you’re talking about—it sent me spiraling
that was MIND BOGGLING to see
"It’s not simply the fact that they don’t know—it’s that they don’t even realize they don’t know. The lack of awareness about credible sources, the inability to differentiate between opinion and fact, and the blind trust in algorithms have created a perfect storm of misinformation and passivity." OH GOD YEESSSS!!! It is disheatening to see.
it’s so heartbreaking to witness, and it SUCKS knowing that educators alone cannot change the system.
so so true and so important for today's society
Would love to know what tools you share with your students to hone their media literacy and critical thinking skills!
hi! drop me a dm and i’ll send you some of my materials i share with my students :)
Hi I’m also interested in the tools, if its okay with you.
hi! I made a post here, enjoy! https://open.substack.com/pub/thejournalcatacombs/p/how-to-improve-your-media-literacy?r=3k80q4&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
Thank you!
That would be great! DMed <3
yes so important!! subjects like media studies and sociology need to be made mandatory in schools
oh my goodness i absolutely LOVE your writing!! thank you so much for reading and I totally agree, schools need to bring more core humanities subjects back for good
ahh thank you sm! 🥰
sooo important! and a reflection i've been trying to put into words for so long. it's not just about education, it's about our ability to fully, actively, consciously participate in society!
absolutely! you’ve put it so perfectly, it’s about more than just education; it’s about having the space and agency to truly engage and shape the world around us.
I’ve taught graduate students who don’t have media literacy. I would tell them you need peer reviewed sources and some had no idea what I was talking about. I had to report a few for plagiarism because they weren’t able to cite resources and you can see when they’ve used ChatGPT. Again graduate students! I’m not sure what went wrong where because for them to be at that level and not have a basic understanding of media literacy which was drilled into me in my AP Lit class is scary
Wow, that’s honestly so alarming. The fact that graduate students are reaching that level without even a basic grasp of media literacy or proper citation is a huge red flag for how broken the system is. It’s wild to think about how much foundational knowledge is being skipped over, and you’re so right it’s been scary as a teacher to see the disconnect 😭 it really shows how urgent it is to rebuild our foundations in schools
As a student that fell between the cracks, in what I already considered, a broken education system I couldn’t agree more. The lack of drive in understanding the beauty of diving deeper into sources and discovering the reason for x, y, and z is something I cannot explain. Although AI could be used as a tool, the manner in which it’s used now is not it.
I immediately subscribed after reading this piece.
Thank you so much for sharing and for subscribing! I totally get what you mean—falling through the cracks in a system that’s already so broken is such a frustrating experience and as a teacher we also feel like we are falling through the cracks as well. :( There’s so much value in slowing down, diving deeper, and really discovering the “why” behind things, but it feels like that’s getting lost.
I am actually reviving my essay about the broken education system from my perspective. I am looking forward to re-editing my high school essay and see the growth, if any.
I find myself coming back to your essay and loving it more and more each time. :)
that’s means so much to me, thank you :) can’t wait to see your final product!
Could never have put it better. Thank you finding the words and publishing them to give a voice to this terrifying process.
Fellow teacher here, and I couldn't agree more. It is bleak out there.
i'm so happy that i'm feeling so many other teachers who feel this way, but it's also so scary that we ALL feel this way 😭
Loved this ! I am always concerned for my younger sibling and his experiences as a teenager on the internet .. It is all too easy for young boys to become red pilled and a lack of media literacy/ analytical skills certainly does not help
Thank you so much! I totally get where you’re coming from, especially because the internet can feel like a minefield, and it’s so scary how easily they can stumble into harmful bandwagons. I think what really helps is encouraging more reading, whether it’s literature or articles, because they often explore and reflect real-world issues in a way that sparks critical thinking. It’s definitely not easy, but having an older sibling like you to guide them through makes such a huge difference :)
This was so well articulated and I can't wait to see what you write next! I honestly have so many issues with the lack of media literacy in younger generations including my own, and how it seems like everyone is constantly taking information at face-value rather than questioning things. I was so lucky I had good teachers in high school. They taught me how to critically think and analyse texts and their contexts (i.e. when/why something was published, media ownership, framing etc). I wish media literacy classes were a separate subject in school curriculum and made mandatory for all students.
thank you so much! yes the real issue is the rise of social media, where companies and publications cater to younger generations' preference for quick, explicit content which really diminishes media literacy and critical thinking 😭
ok but seriously what is an iambic pentameter
😂 i was teaching the poetry unit in class that day! iambic pentameter is a popular poetic meter (especially in Shakespeare) where it refers to a line that consists of ten syllables. an iamb refers to two syllables where its a pair of unstressed - stressed syllables. so, putting it together, iambic pentameter has five pairs of iambs!
omg i love that and I think I get what you’re saying in theory but I’ve never been able to put it into practice and actually hear it poetry always goes over my head
This is so awakening! Thank you Nana❤️looking forward to learn more from you
thank you sm for reading!
Thank you for taking the time to write💛
thank you for reading ❤️
As an educator, I feel hopeless. Most of my students jot down everything I say and refuse to inquire or question
the art of curiosity is getting lost in our classrooms :( its harder and harder to get students to care