What is Media Literacy? Why is it important? Why is it dismissed? Open dialogues about media literacy and factual information can create conflict. Why does this happen? What is the benefit of having a PLN that values media literacy?
Media literacy is the ability to use media resources for learning and creation, as well as being able to analyze media to create compelling forms of communication (Trilling & Fadel, 2009). It is an important skill for global citizens to have as the use of technology increases and it becomes more of an essential part of education, professional settings, and life in general. It can be dismissed because technology is still evolving, and most life skills can generally be done without it. I think media literacy can also seem like an obvious skill that everybody has, when in reality, it can be difficult, and it requires thought and reflection.
Creating an open dialogue around media literacy and factual information is ultimately important because it creates awareness of the importance of media literacy; however, it can create conflict when in the context of confronting someone’s personal beliefs. Generally, people don’t like being told that something they put their belief and trust into is not real or being told that they should know better. Conversations around media literacy can involve the discussion of “fake news”, which can be polarizing in social media communities: it becomes a debate around “who gets to define ‘truth'”(p. 78, 2019).
A PLN that values media literacy would welcome critiques and constructive feedback while encouraging its members to communicate clearly and effectively. This leads to a more authentic form of communication and a sense of trust between you and your connections.
How do notable individuals use social media? What are the benefits of being in the public eye and having a PLN?
One of the benefits of being in the public eye and having a PLN is that you are able to advocate for causes that you are passionate about and reach a wider audience. Sophie Lui, a news anchor at Global BC, shared that as a professional in the public eye, she is able to provide support to her peers during incidents of misogyny and other unwarranted comments (Miller, 24:50, 2026). A downside of being in the public eye could be that, because you can be seen by a wider audience, you may receive rude or unwanted commentary. Notable individuals need to pay more attention to what they choose to put forward on social media and think about how it could be perceived.
What are the risks and benefits of engaging with a public audience in a media space? What are the risks for a public figure or person in a position of trust?
As mentioned above, a benefit of engaging with a public audience is that you can reach a wider audience and promote issues that are important to you. You are also able to engage with a more diverse group of people, which brings new perspectives, thoughts, and opinions. The risks for someone in a position of trust, like an educator, are that parents and employers are able to look at their online social presence and form opinions. As an educator, parents trust you to promote good values and ultimately, keep their children safe.
How to best address negative replies and critiques reflective of your personal values and your employer’s social media policy?
I think the best way to address negative replies is to acknowledge that not all commentary is useful and that not all comments dignify a response. The first step would be to discern if a negative reply has any constructive feedback that could be applied. If yes, there may be something to carry forward, but if not, it’s best left behind.
A content creator that I enjoy engaging with is Hank Green. He has a video (that I included below) about how he addresses negative comments and shares some of his reflections on the current culture around commenting on social media. Something he shared, which I like, is that it’s important to remember that when people leave negative comments, they are choosing to bring that negativity into their life, instead of choosing to approach something out of joy or fun (Green, 2024).
How would I curate my social media presence for a critical audience?
As a future educator, I know that my digital identity is important because it contributes to my credibility as someone who works with the vulnerable sector. With that in mind, I try to keep my social media presence respectful, in addition to thinking about what I would want to see on a prospective teacher’s social media presence.
Building community with online tools provided by the employer can be limiting. What are the perceived restrictions and benefits?
When I think of an online tool provided by an employer, my first thought goes to a platform like Slack or Microsoft Teams. These platforms are great because they allow you to communicate more easily with people within your organization. However, they create a stronger divide between work and your personal life, which can limit your motivation to make connections with colleagues. For example, if your only way of communication with a colleague is through Slack, when you are done with work for the day, you may not be thinking about how you can build a connection with said colleague through Slack.
— Sofia
Green, H. (2024). Why Celebrities Suck at Handling Criticism (Including Me). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDwLre7P7UU
Hirst, M. (2019). The political economy of fake news. In Navigating Social Journalism. Routledge. https://www-taylorfrancis-com.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/reader/read-online/3a03dd4e-15eb-450a-8965-951bf1919754/book/pdf?context=ubx
Miller, J. (2026). EDCI 338 – A01 Week 3.YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovAAdXiHWYs
Trilling, B., & Fadel, C. (2009). Digital literacy skills. In 21st Century Skills: Learning for Life in Our Times. Jossey-Bass. https://learning-oreilly-com.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/library/view/21st-century-skills/9780470475386/fade_9780470475386_oeb_c04_r1.html#h1
Hi Sofia,
Thanks so much for sharing your reflections on this week. Your point about only being connected on slack is a good one – I’ve definitely had the experience of losing contact with colleagues because we had relied on institutional networks for communicating. Your comments on presenting what you would want to see on a teachers social media hit home for me a bit – it reminded me of when I was dating a teacher who was living in a different town that was very small community. Facebook was the main social network people used and this teacher politely asked me to not follow or friend them because they were presenting a strictly professional teacher image.
Hank Green is such an awesome content creator – really sets a good example of using his presence to spread understanding and empathy. I look forward to watching the video you linked.
Hey Sofia, after reading your blog, I liked how you mentioned the public eye can be risky for educators because parents are expecting you to promote good values but I always wonder what happens when the parents sees a different point of view and it causes conflicts? Even when somethings feel right to me, I wonder what other people are thinking. However, you could always ask for a second opinion from a fellow educator or trusted peer. I liked the video by Hank Green because it reminded us that some people purposely are adding negativity to put you down which makes it important to take things into consideration but do not take it to heart. I found it interesting reading your blog because I also want to be a teacher and I worry about my digital footprint because I never know how different individuals will view my posts. I would like to learn about what it means to have a “clear” digital footprint because I would like to avoid anything that could cause harm. Loved your post!! Thanks!