Media Literacy and the Algorithm “Behind the Curtain”
In the classic book and movie, The Wizard of Oz, Toto rips back the curtain for the big reveal: The so-called GREAT and POWERFUL OZ is just a stout, balding white male. It’s all been a ruse! The entity we believed was in control is something else entirely!
In our media literacy class discussion this week, especially concerning the evolving definitions of media and information gatekeeping, I reached a similar conclusion. What if, beneath our contemporary perception of control, there exist more significant (potentially more sinister) influences shaping our media literacy and consumption?
GIPHY: Oz…the great and powerful?
Just Follow the Yellow Brick Road
To unmask and understand what it means to be media literate in today’s rapidly evolving world, I had to first centre myself on a solid definition of media. And to do that, I had to travel back through its evolution.
Canva view / Information gathered from Evolution of Media
Based on class discussions, readings, and my own history deep-dive, I now understand media to mean the evolving channels and tools used to create, distribute, and consume information, content, and messages.
So what, then, does it mean to be media literate? In The State of Media Literacy, Potter notes that defining media literacy is difficult for three reasons (or questions): Which media do we mean, how do we define literacy, and what should the purpose of media literacy be?
The Four Key Themes of Media Literacy Revealed
In my journey to define media literacy, and determine if I am, in fact, media literate (or if I just play the part in my classroom), I focused heavily on Potter’s four key themes of media literacy:
- Duality of Media’s Impact
- Potential negative and positive individual effects of media.
- Pervasive and subtle impact of its influence.
- Empowerment as Purpose
- Media literacy aims to negate the potential negative effects of mass media.
- Individual empowerment as a means of control.
- Debates surrounding intervention methods; consensus on holistic, contextualized, qualitative methods.
- Continual Development
- Media literacy is not inherent but must instead be developed and maintained.
- Developmental process must be ongoing, long-term, and guided.
- Multi-Dimensional
- Media literacy is multifaceted, influencing individuals cognitively, emotionally, aesthetically, and morally.
- Development in each of these domains is essential but acquired skills are not necessarily interchangeable.
Based on these themes, being media literate (to me) means becoming both a discerning consumer and an active participant in our digital world. Sounds easy, right? Yeah, not so much…
The Algorithm Behind the Curtain
Full disclosure, I do – or at least, I did – believe I am media literate. After all, I’ve taken numerous classes and PD on the subject. I holistically incorporate media literacy in my classes and at tech seminars for other educators. I carefully curate what I see online. Based on Pałka-Suchojad’s article, if “information recipients [are] more involved in the process of consuming and generating information” (source), then I am the gatekeeper of whatever scrolls across my screen. Clearly, I am the one in control…
Well, now that I think about it objectively, I also:
- Actively filter out information I don’t agree with, partially because I don’t want to provide racism/sexism/classism (insert any “ism” here) a larger audience BUT also because it upsets me and I want it gone. Out of sight out of mind.
- Repeatedly hit the “15 more minutes” button for my social media scrolling despite my iPhone’s repeated FOCUS alerts (much to the bemusement of my husband).
- Sometimes still fall victim to fake news, manipulated/omitted information, and deepfakes.
- Have questionable weekly “Screen Time” stats that I would never allow my children.
Screenshot: Weekly Stats (*hangs head in shame)
So, with all these faults against me…am I the one in control or is the algorithm (I co-created) secretly running the show?
Algorithms are “used to regulate, include/exclude actors, open/close doors, as well as provide means to know more about the world, how to organize this knowledge, and who is authorized to access it” (Frizzera, 2018).
Frizzera further provides key ways algorithms act as the true gatekeepers, highlighting why we must remain vigilante as producers and consumers of media:
- Inherent bias: The interconnectedness of their technical, professional, and socioeconomic dimensions prevents neutrality in their design. This bias can have dire consequences for already marginalized communities.
- Influential actors: Rather than passive tools, they play a central role in a larger social schema, influencing social conditions, as well as human and non-human components.
- Competitive diversity: Systems collaborate and compete, with an overwhelming combination of influences impacting user behaviours, preferences, and decisions.
- Mediator of informational flow: Significant control over how information is spread and consumed between individuals, organizations, and other social actors in a digital space.
And here I thought I was the one operating the controls…
FINAL THOUGHTS: “Now Fly, Fly”
Credit: Moneybags73 / Interesting Mandela Effect and Internet Misinformation
To be truly media literate means to definitely “pay attention to that [algorithm] behind the curtain.” If we naively believe we are the ones in total control, we blindly hand that control away. Being media literate is just one aspect of our literacy as humans, but digital media content is playing an increasingly important role in the emotional and ethical dimensions of our world. Becoming media literate is a continual journey with no final destination (or Emerald City, so to speak). We must constantly adapt to an evolving media landscape by staying informed and holistically aware of the cognitive, emotional, aesthetic, and moral dimensions of our increasingly digital world.
On a personal level, being media literate means I need to consume content that I disagree with and follow my moral compass to call out digital injustice just as I would in the physical world. I must hold myself and big tech accountable, recognizing the lack of representation and championing the voices that often go unnoticed in media. To advocate for universal and fair access to various literacy forms on a global scale. It requires me to practice active critical thinking skills and assess all digital content as “guilty until proven innocent.” To teach and push for more robust, cross-disciplinary digital/media literacy in school and community programming. It means I must be jealous of my time, aware that my literacy – our literacy – extends beyond this screen.
With that thought in mind, I’ll sign off to enjoy a beautiful, sunny day with my family…
POINTS TO PONDER:
As always, feel free to respond to any of the following questions and/or share your personal thoughts on media literacy:
- How do you define media and media literacy? Has your definition/understanding changed over time, and if so, what was the catalyst for this change?
- How do you balance the positive and negative impacts of media in your life?
- Who do you believe controls your online narrative – you, algorithms, or a combination? Have you ever had a moment where you realized an algorithm was guiding your choices/opinions/beliefs?
- What steps do you take and/or teach to stay informed and critically assess digital content?
- How do you balance your time spent on digital screens with other aspects of your life? Do you believe your screen time positively/negatively affects your overall literacy as an individual?
10 Comments
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Hi Kimberly, I’m glad you asked the question about how to balance the positive and negative media impacts in our lives. I find myself thinking of the “doomscrolling” phenomenon when pondering the negative effects of media. The constant stream of negativity that we beam into our retinas on a constant basis. I feel like it doesn’t take a neuroscientist to understand that this could be harmful to us. I think the best thing to do in that case is to consciously gatekeep in a stronger way for yourself. This however has to fight against an almost FOMO-like urge for me at least, that if I trim down the media I intake I might somehow be “missing something”
It makes me think of something that happened to me recently – do to some sort of mis-click, I somehow accidentally unfollowed someone on Instagram. I didn’t even see who it was. I started to fret that I was now going to miss the glorious posts of whomever I unfollowed. Cut to two months later, and I still have no idea who I unfollowed and don’t notice anything missing. Mustn’t have been that important.
Hi Cole,
I love your example of unfollowing someone…only to realize months later that it doesn’t really matter! How true! During the pandemic, I unsubscribed from roughly 20 different emails/newsletters, etc. While I was unsubscribing I was worried about how much I would miss., but within a week I couldn’t remember what I was missing. I guess it didn’t matter…definitely not in the same way as if a living, breathing person were suddenly absent from our lives. But oh, how seriously we take our digital world. I 100% understand the doom-scrolling and its effects on our mental health. My mental health + doom-scrolling got so bad I had to step away from all digital content for 6 months. I understand the privilege of being able to step away from difficult News…but honestly, it felt so good. I was reinvigorated to use social media for social justice causes (and, admittedly, renewed mindless cat video scrolling). I have tried to replicate it by scheduling weekends away from online, but it seems harder somehow. Anyway, thank you for sharing!
Hi Kimberly,
To answer your question, “How do you balance the positive and negative impacts of media in your life?” I think balancing the positive and negative impacts of media in your life is essential for maintaining a healthy relationship with technology and information consumption. For example, students can set clear boundaries. They can establish specific time limits for media consumption, which is always hard! Parents can help children avoid excessive screen time, especially before bedtime, because it can interfere with sleep quality. Students need to be aware of their media choices. If you notice that certain types of media consistently hurt your mood or mental health, consider reducing your exposure. That’s my advice on how to balance the positive and negative impacts of media.
Hi Echo,
Thank you for sharing. As you note, much of digital literacy and healthy digital boundaries begin at home. This is why I think we need to have continued contact with and informational sessions for parents (as many of the ones at my school suffer from their own digital addictions). I think, too, that more must be done on a larger scale – government and big tech – to combat the inherent bias and addictiveness of our screens. It will take a village.
As part of my major project and in answer to your third question I no longer believe that I have a large amount of control over what I see and view online. AI-based algorithms are constantly nudging me to advertisers and engage with more content. Looking at my metrics it is clear that I am spending more and more time watching YouTube than I did several years ago. I don’t believe that it is because there has been a dramatic increase in the quality of content being posted – but because the recommendations have been refined enough that I am being efficiently “micro-targeted.” Despite my increased awareness of the problem (including as you mentioned formal education in media literacy) my screen time has increased. Frankly, I find it a bit disturbing. I’ve always believed that a combination of education and awareness could protect me – but it hasn’t. This begs the obvious question, “If the teacher can’t resist, what chance do the students have?” I don’t think I like the answer.
Hi Matt,
I have recently been reaching the same (unfortunate) conclusions as you. Sometimes I feel like a newfound conspiracy theorist, believing that “big brother” is watching and controlling my online world….but if the shoe fits! And yes, your final question is one that I have been thinking about a great deal in my classes. As I lecture my students about digital responsibility and balance, I can’t help but shout “HYPOCRITE” in my mind. The algorithm has got me – cat and horse videos, AI-educational technology, millennial satire – my own education and awareness seem to be no match.
Based on your abilities, I would suggest that you are quite media literate. Both your catalyst assignment video and this blog post has made me very aware that I may be literate in the ability to read and write, but I am certainly not keeping up well with being literate in today’s world and I certainly would not call myself “fully” literate in it either. I enjoyed reading your blog and was able to examine how someone more literate in media is able to convey their message to others as I find myself writing more of a narrative. Great blog by the way…
I chose your 5th point to ponder…
How do you balance your time spent on digital screens with other aspects of your life? Do you believe your screen time positively/negatively affects your overall literacy as an individual?
Personally I do not necessarily balance my time on digital screens very well with other aspects of life. I find myself tied to a screen or monitor more and more than I would like these days and it is getting harder and harder to even think of it as a balance. There are times where I simply need to unplug and be present in the moment so at least I have not lost that moral compass! I feel that screen time both positively and negatively affects my overall literacy and life as an individual. I would suggest that on both cases the jury could go either way…
Thanks, Darryl,
I appreciate your kind words and your reflections. I have reached the conclusion that as soon as I call myself media literate, I am not. To call oneself media literate suggests there is a final destination, but our rapidly evolving digital world prevents that from ever being true. Being media literate is the journey – and we get to help our students along a small (but crucial) part of it. Also, thank you for your outline about Finnish education (in your blog commentary) – I can’t seem to find the video link you shared though. If you see this, could you please resend it? THANKS!
Kimberly,
Here is the link to the article entitled “Digital Literacy in Finnish Education: A Model for the World” that I was referencing in my personal blog. It is a good read and it is a model that we should be looking at as a collective education system. I feel that too often, we are left to fend for ourselves with regards to interpreting curriculum, implementing curriculum content and in this case, addressing digital literacy. I also agree with your evaluation of being close to my never fully media/digital literate. I also agree that becoming media/digital literate is like climbing a mountain that seems to continue to grow each and every time you feel you are getting close to the top.
https://finlandeducationhub.com/digital-literacy-in-finnish-education-a-model-for-the-world/
Great post Kimberly!
Your questions at the end are all great questions! I know we discussed in our breakout session the second question of balancing the positive and negative impacts in our digital lives. When you said that in our sessions, it made me realize, man she’s right I need to know and understand something I don’t necessarily believe in so that I understand their side. It is important for us to understand both sides.
As for your question on how I balance screentime with other aspects of life. I have been way more mindful now that my kids are older (6&7) because I know they are copy cats so if they see me on my phone, they will want to be on their phone as well. If I’m reading a book, they’ll want to read a book too. I know when they were babies I just wanted to cherish every moment with them which is why my phone is full of their baby pictures and videos, but as they get older and are able to do more things with me. I try to live in the moment and do things with them. I know my daughter sees a beautiful sunset and wants to take a picture of it all the time, but she now says what I always say. Take a picture in your head, so that you will always have an idea of it when you think of it.