It is no secret that with the rise of AI, access to information is much more accessible than ever before. However, does that ease come with a cost? With resources like ChatGPT surpassing their intended uses as a tool and becoming more of a crutch for students and teachers alike, the importance of media literacy has reached new heights. Media literacy is the ability to analyze and critique media, a skill many overlook or lack in light of the recent simplicity of turning to AI, reposting, and sharing false information with no further analysis.
This oversight has drawn concern for both teens and teachers alike, “we rely heavily a lot on media to get our information, and so being literate on what’s going on is super important,” English 11 and Journalism Teacher Elizabeth Bearden-Spreitzer remarked. Media Literacy Now’s article, “The Current State of Media Literacy & Children,” echoes Bearden-Spreitzer’s fears, noting that on average, teens spend over seven hours on screens per day, digesting all types of media and information. Sara Sweeney, also an English teacher at Liberty, furthered this in stating, “…people are getting fed a certain type of information and it becomes like this echo chamber of information for them, and they’re not being exposed to a variety of ideas and thoughts.”
But is media literacy really that important? Surely, using AI from time to time can’t be that bad. Mia Kotalik’s article, “The Struggle for Media Literacy and The Consequences of Instant Access,” begged to differ. Kotalik reiterated much of Sweeney and Bearden-Spritezer’s concerns, stating that with the ease of information, people are less likely to fact-check information, becoming more susceptible to manipulation tactics and unable to differentiate between gossip and reality. These issues not only plague American classrooms but also American politics. “People who do not develop the ability to critically think might be easily swayed by others who want more control over the economy and government. Thus giving away their rights without realizing the consequences. Or being persuaded it’s a good thing and something they really want, when it’s not,” Government and History teacher Amiee Parra warned.
However, it is clear that AI is not leaving anytime soon. “Everyone uses AI, whether they realize it or not. You’re at a severe disadvantage in the workplace if you don’t know how to use it,” Parra noted. Bearden-Spreitzer and Sweney agree that AI can be used as an effective tool in classrooms if not used as a “crutch,” but more so a way to review or expand on difficult topics. With this integration of AI, teachers’ roles in the classroom have begun to shift, “our job now is to help them connect the dots and that then ties to media literacy, knowing how different sources connect and knowing what’s true and what’s not true,” Sweeney explained.
As AI grows more prominent, so does the need to critically analyze information, something that educators across Liberty agree upon. It is to be expected to see more teachers implement lessons based on media literacy and the importance of fact-checking information to counter the wave of information that students seem to be bombarded with on social media. Making an active effort to analyze sensational headlines or gossip across social media is a step towards a more media-literate future.
This effort, combined with reinforcement in the classroom, can reduce the threat that misinformation poses to the population.
