The Pew research center released a report that at least 67% of Americans get their news from social media (Shearer & Gottfried, 2017). But interestingly, Facebook admitted that social media could be bad for democracy (Kennedy, 2018). In some ways, it seems counterintuitive, because important social and political movements have been brought to the forefront through powerful #hashtags on social media.
In other ways, it seems to make sense. Misinformation online has lead to many negative consequences. How can we prepare ourselves and the generations to come to critically evaluate information and news on social media?
From a research standpoint, it has been theorized that “..a reader’s goals, beliefs, and attitudes toward reading can influence how he or she employs cognitive [hence evaluative!] reading strategies while reading informational texts.” (Coiro & Dobler, 2007). In addition to feelings towards ‘reading’, it has been found long ago that one’s affective state also influences the type of information people choose to read (Bower, Gilligan, & Monteiro, 1981). Facebook is related to social capital, self-esteem (Steinfield, Ellison, & Lampe, 2008), relational and psychological stressors (Fox & Moreland, 2015), etc. I feel ‘Media and Information Literacy’ (MIL) research is important. It should now take into account how affective states and motivation might impact reading in an already complex mechanism of reading on the internet which is affected by prior-knowledge and self-regulation (Coiro & Dobler, 2007).
From a teaching standpoint, MIL has been acknowledged as important in K-12 settings (ISTE). There is even a framework currently in place to evaluate online media. As research on MIL continues, perhaps standards will shift, improve, be incorporated in new and diverse settings, further inform research, etc.
—————–
Bower, G. H., Gilligan, S. G., & Monteiro, K. P. (1981). Selectivity of learning caused by affective states. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 110(4), 451.
Fox, J., & Moreland, J. J. (2015). The dark side of social networking sites: An exploration of the relational and psychological stressors associated with Facebook use and affordances. Computers in Human Behavior, 45, 168-176.
Kennedy, M. (2018, January 22). Facebook Says Social Media Can Be Negative For Democracy. Retrieved February 28, 2018, from https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/01/22/579732762/facebook-says-social-media-can-be-negative-for-democracy
Shearer, E., & Gottfried, J. (2017, September 07). News Use Across Social Media Platforms 2017. Retrieved February 28, 2018, from http://www.journalism.org/2017/09/07/news-use-across-social-media-platforms-2017/
Steinfield, C., Ellison, N. B., & Lampe, C. (2008). Social capital, self-esteem, and use of online social network sites: A longitudinal analysis. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 29(6), 434-445.
Hi Sukanya – You noted an important point about motivation and affect. Coiro & Dobler (2007) state “in comparison to print-based texts, hypertexts require readers to take a much more active role in determining the quality and coherence of the texts they read” (p. 219). Hence, the motivation to take these extra steps needs to be present and the role of affect will influence the ways the reader decides to engage. I also think this is particularly important give our social climate. For instance, while some may be motivated to keep up with current events, the impact of news on affect is a large determinant. In my case, I am torn between wanting to be informed and feeling heartbroken by the news updates (such as another shooting on a campus this morning).
Sukanya – I agree that students should be taught to evaluate online information! When instruction allows students to engage with digital sources, it’s often confined within research databases or teacher-selected websites. This starkly contrasts with students’ digital encounters outside school. Specifically, social media is a concern in that students do not always learn the skills to master out-of-school online activities. In fact, Coiro and Dobler (2007) suggested that “to help bridge the gap between students’ in-and out-of-school online activities, self-selected tasks that invite students to use a range of online communication tools for sharing their findings are important areas to explore” (p. 245). Hopefully, this line of research can prepare students for online activity both in and out of school.
Administrators:
Christine Greenhow
Diana
Rand
cainwil1
Ming
Top Posters:
galvins1: 51
richkat3: 50
albertsk: 43
moudgal1: 43
schellma: 41
liraamal: 39
Emilia: 35
zhumengd: 34
Forum Stats:
Groups: 6
Forums: 19
Topics: 97
Posts: 339
Member Stats:
Guest Posters: 0
Members: 77
Moderators: 0
Admins: 5
Most Users Ever Online: 58
Currently Online:
2 Guest(s)
Currently Browsing this Page:
1 Guest(s)