Coming from a millennial growing up in a generation where technology is becoming one of the top sources of communication, it is IMPERATIVE that we understand Media literacy. We cannot continue to deprive ourselves of the knowledge we NEED to better understand how to properly navigate through the internet without being misled.
What is Media Literacy?
According to the National Association for Media Literacy Eduation, Media literacy is the ability toÂ
ACCESS, ANALYZE, EVALUATE,Â
CREATE, and ACT using all forms of communication.
"In its simplest terms, media literacy builds upon the foundation of traditional literacy and offers new forms of reading and writing.
 Media literacy empowers people to be critical thinkers and makers, effective communicators and active citizens."
https://namle.net/publications/media-literacy-definitions/
As you can tell by reading my previous posts, I've had my fair share of experiences as to dealing with media literacy. One overarching problem I faced in all of my stories was CHECKING THE SOURCE. Whether it was an inaccurate video of the supposed Atlantic and Pacific oceans being magically unable to mix or a scam phone call asking for money, most situations on the internet can be avoided simply by checking the source. When you find something that peaks your interest, type what you saw on social media or online into google and fact check to see what the post was REALLY about. A lot of times, websites post things as clickbait for people to click on to fall for the scams, get more viewers, etc. It is so important that in today's day and age we grow a skepticism towards things we see online, especially if they look sketchy. Now that we have the resources, there's no excuse to fall for any sort of scam when we have the tools to avoid it.
CALL TO ACTION:
With what started with my Abuelo's scam fiasco, I decided to take the initiative to instill CHECKING THE SOURCE to my mom, brother, and cousins. Before making that phone call, writing that essay, or buying something electronically, you should most definitely check the source to see if the website you have visited is legit.
HOW TO TELL IF YOUR WEBSITE IS LEGIT?
1) Type the name of your topic in a search engine and look at MULTIPLE results for accuracy
2) Make sure the website you've visited is encrypted, those are usually legit websites. To see if the website is encrypted check the bar at the top of the screen for a tiny lock
3) Watch out for pop-up ads and advertisements that seem skeptical
4) The website's link should start with 'https' rather than 'http'
5) TRUST YOUR INTUITION! If you feel skeptical about a certain website, your gut is probably answering that question for you!