Face Off: Should students be required to learn about media literacy every year?

One day after school, I opened Instagram and saw a video of Donald Trump dancing with Joe Biden and Elon Musk – all dressed in prom dresses. I was shocked, thinking, “This can’t be happening.”

I quickly realised that the post’s creators had used artificial intelligence (AI) to create “deepfakes” potentially to spread misinformation, gain engagement or spark heated discussion.

The video was entertaining at first, but upon reflection, it is clear AI can be used to do more than provide entertainment or chat with us as fictional characters. It can generate false information about various serious topics and events, such as conflicts or natural disasters like the recent Los Angeles fires.

That is why students should take media literacy classes every year.

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The United States National Institutes of Health states, “Traditional strategies such as censorship or limitation are no longer efficient; teaching media literacy is the best way to protect adolescents.”

Content on web pages and social media applications influences how we feel and behave. For example, if we see disturbing content like blurred footage of animal abuse, we may feel uncomfortable or choose to look at more violent images. This exposure can even desensitise us, changing how we view the topic and our behaviour.

Individuals may be unable to turn to trusted adults and not know how to pull themselves out of echo chambers – spaces with one type of content – with harmful or false information. All of this can affect their mental well-being.

Media literacy skills will also help stop the spread of disinformation online.

More unofficial media companies are emerging now, sharing unverified information, biased articles and false news. Media literacy classes are crucial for learning how to identify, challenge and stop the spread of harmful false news, especially when surrounded by strangers or “influencers” who share disinformation.

It has also become difficult for us to tell what is real or fake on social media due to filters and editing tools like AI, Photoshop and Facetune. Edited images and videos change how we perceive others, and exaggerated statistics can lead us astray.

In conclusion, students should take media literacy classes yearly to learn how to navigate social media without consuming and spreading misinformation.

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In today’s technology-driven world, it is rare for a student not to pick up their phone and scroll through social media when they are out and about or surf the web as they complete homework. Young people have a lot of experience with technology.

That is why we should consider that a required annual media literacy course – where you learn how to critically analyse information and question its accuracy and credibility – may waste scarce time in a scholastic year.

First, media literacy differs from conventional subjects like English, mathematics and science. Instead of being academic – where you memorise and comprehend concepts and theories – it is about a specific skill: teaching students how to recognise the diverse information we encounter.

There are different types of fake news and misinformation. However, focusing lesson time on the topic might not promote deeper understanding, as it is more or less the same skill you apply, even if the scenario or trend varies. The content could also be highly controversial or confusing, and each teacher might interpret the media differently.

Instead of treating media literacy as a stand-alone subject, it would be more effective to integrate the topic into existing classes and coursework, such as social science projects. This approach allows students to apply their media literacy skills more readily and to everyday experience.

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Second, students generally possess a foundational level of media literacy acquired through their interaction with digital content. Mainstream films, such as the 2023 Chinese movie No More Bets, and television shows would have covered the topic and provided more contextual information.

Finally, while media literacy is useful, creating a new subject dedicated to the topic might disrupt learning, diverting attention away from more pressing educational needs and topics. Teachers may be unfamiliar with the topic, and training them will exhaust more resources.

In conclusion, requiring students to learn about media literacy every single year is ineffective. Students should instead be encouraged to explore media literacy concepts independently – in their free time – or in other academic subjects when relevant and necessary.