Capable, confident critical thinkers

The advent of the internet has changed our lives and we must all respect and take responsibility for the online world in which we find ourselves. The importance of being media literate so that we may function consciously, critically and ethically in the media world, requires the assistance of the whole of society.

Everyone plays a role in helping the younger generations judge and sort the information that is bombarding their online existence and reinforcing their positive digital citizenship as they reflect their personal values within their online world. Parents, guardians and teachers alike have a role to play in the development of critical thinking, so that students are able to discern truth from the misinformation and misleading sources of information that are portrayed by the media as news.

Critical thinking can commence by holding open discussions revolving around what is being portrayed online with thoughts such as:

• Does this look real?
• Does this sound credible and accurate?
• Is this demonstrating any bias?
• Who is really saying this or behind this thought?
• How can I verify this information?
• Is this relevant to me?
• When did this happen?

Why is this critical thinking important to us all? We all like to be informed and we need our news sources to be truthful and honest, portraying life as it really exists. Business behind the media and providing our news are just that, a business that needs to operate with profitable incomes. When sharing news and forwarding it on your social media platforms ask yourself, are you passing on misinformation, or have you been media literate and a critical thinker?