#that's how easy misinformation is spread and it results in propaganda being spread easily

[bangthedoldrums]

the performative activism on TikTok actually makes my blood boil

[darwinforthewin]

MODERN FIXATION

          If you’re reading this, it’s too late. Your device has already taken you. It’s going to be up to you now how easy or hard it will be for you to fight the urge to stay on it. One thing is for sure, technology is inevitable. From the very moment you tried reading this, you were already enjoying the benefits of technology. You used technology to do something that you wanted. Besides, you wouldn’t even be reading this without technology. Everywhere you go, whatever you do, there is technology. Technology has already become an essential part of our everyday lives and whether you like it or not, social media is a huge part of it.

           Now, social media is vitally useful in various ways. In fact, this is what helps us survive nowadays. Looking for jobs, finding solutions, deciding on what to eat, searching for a place to live, and most especially, getting connected with the people we know. Social media satisfies the needs of humans of having the desire of being part of something big. As a result of this, social media specifically produces identity that is akin to mob mentality allowing humans to be hyper-connected and unable to spend their time with real family and friends. (Koo, 2015).

           For students like me, social media is a must. There is no way you can efficiently accomplish a group task without using social media. Students of today were raised in an increasingly media-rich environment. (Perse & Lambe, 2017). It is inevitable for them to use any form of media for communication, connection, research, and many more. However, this could lead students to the overuse of media for it will inevitably be part of their everyday needs. Social media users specifically Facebook users tend to admit their excessive normal, usual, or planned amounts of time online. (Koo, 2015) Certainly, social media users like me are unable to take control of their online activity; hence, leading them to have negative academic, professional, and social consequences.

          Since technology plays an important role to me as a student, and to me as an individual, it is without a doubt that I need it every single day. With this, I can pretty much relate myself to the portrayals of young people using social media in the documentary The Social Dilemma. Even if it is not for the purpose of education, I still spend most of my time on my phone, if not, have my phone by my side, at all times of the day. This is because certain gadgets nowadays are most effectively and conveniently used for entertainment, communication, security, and most especially, for an emergency. Despite this, I grew up and was raised with the discipline to put limitations in everything. It has been part of the house rules that when we eat or when we spend time with family, we do not use our phones unless it is of great urgency and importance.

           The documentary The Social Dilemma reveals an essential portion of what you need to know inside the digital space. You may not have known yet but technology is getting way bigger and more advanced than you could have ever imagined. Everything you see on social media, what you’re seeing now, what you’re reading, what you’re looking at – all these are just tiny fragments of what the internet actually is. The Social Dilemma presents you with the adverse effects of technology and how it can actually be used as a system of manipulation that leads people into believing something that is not true. Because of the freedom that we can access in social media, businesses and politicians tend to overexploit the platform which, in effect, they use to create false publicities and deceptive propaganda that results in an overall sense of illusion for the vulnerable users of social media. After all, social media itself is a form of business.

           With the power of technology, I believe businessmen and politicians will continue to use it in the same way they are using it now. This is because technology has no limitations. As businesses, social media platforms earn through the running of advertisements. The only way they can grow their business further is to improve their method of revenue which is what they are doing now: use of cookies and personalization of advertisements. Anyhow, businesses need people and people need businesses. What makes the market mutually efficient for both parties is through the use of social media. As was mentioned in the documentary, people are the products of social media and that is how it really works. The time you spend on social media. which is the time you spend for your personal benefit, equates to earnings for the platform. Businesses will continue to advertise, whether it is for manipulation or promotion, because from the very nature of it that is how it works; this is explained by a common economic principle that nothing really is for free.

          As for politicians, the spread of fake news and cyber propaganda is prevalent. However, I believe that it will not be as prevalent as what it is now in the future. This is because social media nowadays, especially Facebook, have developed a capability to detect news or articles that portray false news, misinformation, and any suspicious posts and activities. Facebook created Temporal Interaction EmbeddingS research (TIES) as an effort to improve its detection of fake accounts and misinformation and the enforcement regulations. This has enabled the company to eliminate more than 135 million fake accounts in April 2020. This may not have completely removed all existing fake news due to diverse engagement, but this serves as a stepping stone for Facebook and other social media platforms to build a system of rectification on the issue of information fallacies across the internet (Hutchinson, 2020). Therefore, yes, the politicians will still try to take advantage of technology in the future because they have the freedom to do so, but the movement has already begun for it to battle upon in this respect.

          In the end, it may be beneficial for us to use technologies in our everyday lives but it is still part of our responsibilities to put certain limitations to it. Additionally, it is part of our due diligence to verify the information we encounter in the digital space. When you buy a certain product in the mall, you check whether it is fake or original before purchasing. This goes the same when you encounter articles, news, or any information on social media. You always have to verify the information before buying into it. This action must always be kept in mind when you browse the internet. Failure to do so can lead to detrimental repercussions that influence you and your decisions on life matters. Businesses and politicians will always try to play tricks on us but the only way we can push back against unethical practices of using social media is through our actions ourselves. Engaging our critical thinking skills and educating people about social media literacy are our best tools to defend ourselves from modern harm.

           There are certain lines from the film that give a powerful impact. One of these lines is “If you’re not paying for the product, then you’re the product.” This statement is indeed agreeable. Like I said in the previous paragraphs, nothing is for free. Everything has an opportunity cost and trade-off which is an economic principle. Even when you say you have free lunch available at the canteen, falling in line to get it is the cost of it. This is why if you are not paying for a product, then you should already expect that something from you is taken in exchange. Another line from the film states that “There are only two industries that call their customers 'users': illegal drugs and software." To me, this can be associated with the same effect that comes with both industries: addiction. Both drugs and software impart chemicals that trigger the release of dopamine or our happy hormones from our brain. When we use drugs, our neurotransmitters from our brains detect a sense of pleasurable experience in which it changes the behavior of our brain in a way it increases the odds of us repeating the activity again and again; thus, it goes the same with our usage of the software.

           There is another line from the film that I find to be agreeing with. It was the line that says “Social media is a marketplace that trades exclusively in human futures." This is evident from the many circumstances the film presented. The one reason why social media knows exactly how to keep you engaged on the platform is that they analyze your behavior pattern. And when they know the kind of behavior you have; they move on to advance their trading scheme. They sell your personal data and give them to large companies which is why there exist personalized advertisements as you scroll through your media feed. The last line from the film that hooked me is the statement: "The very meaning of culture is manipulation." Since our culture is filled with social media and the internet, it can be deduced that everything can now be tracked and monitored. People can now easily manipulate you into liking something or into having different sets of views, may this be in business or politics. As long as social media exist, so does manipulation. Our culture has become associated with the use of technology. It now depends on how we perceive information online that guides our beliefs and that what makes us who we are.

  Personal SWOT Analysis Worksheet

          Illustrated above is my personal SWOT Analysis. I would say that the political, economic, and social factors are crucial to my growth. Because of these factors, I can determine steps that I can take to maintain my sanity and to improve on what I am lacking. The technological factors play a significant influence on the political, economic, and social factors found in both of my opportunities and strengths. This is because technology boosts everything around you, most especially in a time of a pandemic. Although I cannot go out because of COVID-19, technology allows me to stay connected with my friends and keep myself updated with the nation’s news. Because of technology, distance learning has been integrated into educational institutions to continue the delivery of education to all students like me. However, technology also contributes to factors under threats. Technological factors reduce personal interaction and increase the odds of people getting influenced by fake news considering that people, nowadays, turn to social media to obtain news. 

           With all the aforementioned circumstances, I would say that there are similarities and differences between my personal assessment and what the documentary, The Social Dilemma, says about the influence of technology on our lives. In a similar aspect, both my assessment and the documentary have presented significant improvements in daily lives with technology such as communication, research, broadcasting, data exploration, labor, and many more especially in a time of difficulty. On the contrary, both my assessment and the documentary presented adverse effects of technology specifically on our mental health and decision-making. This just goes to prove that technology is not always what it seems.   

References:

Hutchinson, A. (2020, August 26). Facebook Outlines New System for Detecting Fake Accounts and Misinformation Based on Interactions. https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/facebook-outlines-new-system-for-detecting-fake-accounts-and-misinformation/584228/.

Perse, E. M., & Lambe, J. (2017). Media effects and society. London: Routledge.

Koo, G. S. (2015). Lights and Shadows of Digital Technologies. Makati City: Church Strengthening Ministry, Inc.

[droansemanes]

Social Media: Fake News, Misinformation, and Disinformation

MARC ALLECK DROAN N. SEMANES

BAH 1 – 1

 The rise of social media has altered our perception of and interaction with information. For many people, social media has replaced traditional news outlets and became one of the information sources today. Never has it been so easy to access it’s been so simple to find, publish, and share information. Anyone can set up one or more Facebook or Twitter accounts in minutes, sometimes anonymously. By design, social media platforms encourage users to easily share information with the click of a button, but information is frequently distorted along the way. In some cases, humans may not even be controlling the spread of information but the bots and trolls, or the paid persons that create programs that automatically post and share information, can also operate social media accounts. While most people have heard of fake news and misinformation, they have been overshadowed in the public consciousness by a far more widespread phenomenon: disinformation. Disinformation is the intentional manipulation of facts, and it is done to brainwash and spoon feed lies to the public.

Everything has changed because of social media. It has become a popular location for people to react and respond to information: The issue with this is that many people spread fake news on social media. As a result, there is misinformation and disinformation. I am once a victim of Fake news. You may be also a victim. As a society, we are victims of the lies, manipulation and fabrication forced upon us on social media platforms in the form of fake news. The popular term "fake news" refers to false news whose main objective is to deceive people by hiding the truth and fabricating it to make it look like a piece of legitimate news. I believe we should be critical and learn how to identify fake news on various social media platforms because most of the things we've seen on these platforms are untrue and can mislead the majority. One example is the propaganda about our country's history that circulates on social media. Many people spread false information about the events that occurred during martial law, which was spread on the internet by trolls, with the primary goal of misleading the people and distorting our history. Another example is false information about Covid – 19: the side effects of the vaccines, false deaths that they attribute to the vaccine, etc. These are just a few examples of false information that is being spread on social media, causing public confusion and anxiety. It is essential that we have a basic understanding of fact-checking in order to validate and determine whether the information we see on various social media platforms is legitimate news. Here are some guidelines and steps to help us spot fake news and fact-check: First, develop a critical mindset. It will help you think critically, and you must be aware of every piece of information you see on social media. The second step is to double-check the information's source and publisher. Examine the credentials, potential biases, etc., and then lastly, cross-reference with other sources. It is an excellent method for determining the veracity of any information obtained from a specific source. Cross-reference it with other reliable and trusted sources.

Today's social media environment is becoming a growing source of concern. Platforms like Facebook and others allow you to communicate with millions of people, but they also widely disseminate fake news, misinformation, and dis/misinformation. This is a growing issue with far-reaching consequences for everyone. The usefulness of these digital media tools will only increase in the future, but their abuse must be addressed immediately. In conclusion, I believe that social media is a great platform for us to disseminate information in a snap. However, we must be cautious about what we post and share on various social media platforms. Let us always keep in mind that our recklessness and negligence in posting and sharing information on social media can confuse the public and cause fear and panic

  SOURCES:

 Hilary, Ibegbulem Obioma, and Olannye-Okonofua Dumebi. “Social Media as a Tool for Misinformation and Disinformation Management.” Linguistics and Culture Review, vol. 5, no. S1, Aug. 2021, pp. 496–505, https://doi.org/10.21744/lingcure.v5ns1.1435.

 Rocha, Yasmim Mendes, et al. “The Impact of Fake News on Social Media and Its Influence on Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review.” Journal of Public Health, Oct. 2021, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-021-01658-z.

[gaylebon]

Just as I Thought!

How Algorithms Use Feeling Connected Against Us

Being connected to our social support system is generally believed to be a healthy use of social media. Also, keeping abreast of news, politics, global ecology, medical advancements, and the economy motivates us to connect using social media and online websites. My recent blog on the issue of homophily points out that we prefer to connect with those who are like us, and we follow content that mirrors what we already believe and think (Bonato, 2020).

It is all so convenient, yet there is a downside; cognitive bias (flawed thinking) clouds our judgement and social media content plays to our flawed thinking (Ciampaglia &  Menczer, 2018). Algorithms use homophily to connect us to more ‘alike’ content, which in turn can result in confirmation bias, in other words focusing on information that we already believe which seems to confirm our prior beliefs (Pennycook, Cannon, & Rand, 2018).

Two professors present the results of a study on the subject and they say,

The fact that low-credibility content spreads so quickly and easily suggests that people and the algorithms behind social media platforms are vulnerable to manipulation. (Ciampaglia &  Menczer, 2018).

Additionally, various tactics of algorithms, and those who profit from them, make it more likely that we will believe fake news (Ciampaglia &  Menczer, 2018). One of these tactics is prior exposure; studies have shown that even one exposure to a fake news story can influence social media users to believe a falsehood (Pennycook, Cannon, & Rand, 2018). While we are unlikely to believe implausible information, such as ‘the world is cube shaped’, information that suits us and confirms our beliefs is easy to accept without question; when that information has the potential to influence us and shape our identities and belief systems, it becomes a serious issue (Pennycook, Cannon, & Rand, 2018).

Here is the link to my blog post last week on homophily and how it affects our interactions on social media:

https://gaylebon.tumblr.com/post/190554246832/share-and-share-alike

Isolation and Its Effects

           Furthermore, algorithms are used to isolate us into biased groups using priming and framing. Priming is playing on emotional beliefs to influence our next choice; it is a way to grab our attention; the goal is to convince social media users that the information presented is important to them (Pennington, 2018).

Next, framing is the way that algorithms prepare us for an upcoming event like a political campaign; it uses exposure to information that is likely to be believed to influence our decisions (Pennington, 2018). This kind of influence can create an ‘us versus them’ mentality, or the idea that we are right and the ‘other’ is wrong (Pennington, 2018).

           Moreover, the results of this kind of algorithm can lead to political extremism and other evils; polarizing political content and misinformation result in a public who is sadly following lies without question (Lane, 2018). By playing to our strongly held passions and beliefs to create confirmation bias, algorithms are creating a kind of echo chamber (Bessi, Zollo, Del Vicario, Puliga, Scala, Caldarelli, et al. 2016).

To continue, according to a 2017 Reuters report, 48% of respondents use social media as a news source (Lane, 2018). It is a vicious circle; we hold a belief, it is confirmed by social media algorithms; we believe it even more; we make bad choices based on what we have been told and accepted without question; we go on feeling special and RIGHT; finally, we perpetuate the goals of those behind algorithms which results in isolation, polarization, and a public that is misled but feels good about it (Lane, 2018).

Also, algorithms are fueling political extremism and according to the authors of a recent and timely study on fake news by Oxford University’s Computational Propaganda Project this is being done purposely (Lane, 2018). Furthermore, Facebook pages tied to extreme hard right entities are responsible for more junk and fake news than anyone else according to a three-month study supported by the National Science Foundation (Lane, 2018). It makes one wonder at the constant focus on eradicating ‘fake news’ by right wing political figures; this author suspects it is meant to deflect and distract.

Constructive Steps to Better Social Media Use

           Finally, though we are susceptible to the tactics of algorithms and those who use them, we don’t have to be willing participants or victims of these schemes; there are things we can do to make sure we are not deceived or a part of the problem (West, 2017). In the image above one suggestion is offered toward making us more responsible social media users; don’t perpetuate misinformation, instead make it a dedicated practice to fact-check everything you share (it is not as hard as it seems, Google is very helpful and can give you a variety of points of view to inform your decisions). This requires some openness and understanding that even closely held beliefs need to be double checked (West, 2017).

           Some other ways to combat misinformation and fake news include look for sources for all information (Lane, 2018), be curious about who benefits from the information, look at other points of view for comparison, follow a diversity of news sources, and be skeptical (West, 2017).

Best Wishes, Gayle

  References

Bessi A., Zollo F., Del Vicario M., Puliga, M., Scala A, Caldarelli, G., et al. (2016) Users Polarization on Facebook and Youtube. PLoS ONE 11(8): e0159641. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0159641

Bonato, G. (2020). Capella University; U03d1 Blog post; Share and share alike. Retrieved from https://courserooma.capella.edu/webapps/discussionboard/do/message?action=list_messages&course_id=_233886_1&nav=discussion_board_entry&conf_id=_509417_1&forum_id=_1249868_1&message_id=_24672239_1

Ciampaglia, G. L. &  Menczer, F. (2018). Biases Make People Vulnerable to Misinformation Spread by Social Media. Retrieved from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/biases-make-people-vulnerable-to-misinformation-spread-by-social-media/

Ciampaglia, G. L. &  Menczer, F. (2018). Misinformation and biases infect social media, both intentionally and accidentally. Retrieved from http://theconversation.com/misinformation-and-biases-infect-social-media-both-intentionally-and-accidentally-97148

Lane, C. (2018). Flaws in the algo: How social media fuel political extremism: New research documents how social media algorithms are driving polarization. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/side-effects/201802/flaws-in-the-algo-how-social-media-fuel-political-extremism

Pennington, J. (2018). The cognitive biases that feed the social media machine. Retrieved from https://www.connected-uk.com/the-cognitive-biases-that-feed-the-social-media-machine/

Pennycook, G., Cannon, T. D., & Rand, D. G. (2018). Prior exposure increases perceived accuracy of fake news. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 147(12), 1865-1880. doi:10.1037/xge0000465; 10.1037/xge0000465.supp (Supplemental)

West, D. M. (2017). How to combat fake news and disinformation. Retrieved from https://www.brookings.edu/research/how-to-combat-fake-news-and-disinformation/

[williamsjoan]

A simple bug makes it easy to spoof Google search results into spreading misinformation

A bug that anyone can easily exploit in Google makes it easy to kick out manipulated search results that look entirely real.

The search manipulation bug was documented by Wietze Beukema, a London-based security specialist, who warned that a malicious user could use this bug to generate misinformation.

By splicing together values from a Google search result’s “knowledge graph,” the cards that pop up in search results to supplement the search query with visuals and quick facts. Anything from countries, planets, tech news sites and more have cards that appear on the right-side of Google’s search results, displaying other nuggets of information at a glance.

In a blog post, Beukema explained that the short, shareable URL when entered into a Google search result could be chopped and added to the web address any other search query.

So, when you’d search: “What is the capital of Britain,” you’d expect London to return. Actually, you can make it any value — such as Mars.

It also works if you search “Who is the US president?” You can just manipulate the result to read “Snoop Dogg.”

A bug makes it easy to put the contents of a knowledge card into a search result. (Image: TechCrunch)

The manipulated search query doesn’t break HTTPS, so anyone can craft a link, send it in an email, tweet it out, or share it on Facebook — and the recipient, one assumes, would be none the wiser. But that can be a real problem in an age of mistrust of internet companies after misinformation campaigns by nation state actors.

Beukema warned that this search manipulation bug could be used to spread factually incorrect information, or even propaganda.

“Who is responsible for 9/11?” can be pointed to George Bush, a widely held conspiracy theory. “Where was Barack Obama born?” can be pointed to Kenya, another conspiracy theory largely propagated by his successor, Donald Trump, who later backtracked on the claim.

And even, “Which party should I vote for?” can be pointed to either the Republicans or the Democrats.

No wonder so many people think the election was rigged if they think they can click a button and have a search engine tell them who to vote for.

Beukema told TechCrunch that anyone  can “generate normal-looking Google URLs that make controversial assertions,” which can “either look bad on Google, or worse, people will accept them as being true.”

He said that he first reported the bug to Google in December 2017, but the report was closed without the company taking any action.

“The ‘attack’ I described relies on this trust people have in Google and the facts it presents,” he said.

The bug is still active at the time of writing. In fact, it’s been known about for almost three years. Beukema simply brought the issue to light after first discovering the issue more than a year ago. But it’s already sparked interest from the hacker community. One developer, Lucas Miller, took just a few hours to build a Python script to automatically generate fake results based on search queries.

It’s a mystery why Google, despite claims of political bias (though no evidence to say it’s true), has taken so long fix a basic weakness in its search results that would make the service far more trustworthy.

A Google spokesperson told TechCrunch that it was “working to fix” the issue.

Cybersecurity 101: How to browse the web securely and privately

A simple bug makes it easy to spoof Google search results into spreading misinformation published first on https://timloewe.tumblr.com/

[enlightenedembellishment-blog1]

Media Literacy and its effect on youth

Introduction 

Every day the world as we know it becomes more digitized and social-media-centric. Information can be accessed with one tap or click and is constantly filtered throughout our days’ timelines. While the internet proves to be an unprecedented resource for those reasons, it is also a cesspool for misinformation. With content streaming non stop, false information spreads like wildfire and is often shared without hesitation. Much of that sharing phenomenon is done so with good intentions, but too often is it the case that people simply cannot recognize whether the information they are viewing and sharing is false, misinformed, fabricated, or exaggerated. This begs the question of how to teach people media literacy or, in other words, to understand, identify, analyze, and avoid misinformation. Perhaps one solution lies within public high schools and, more specifically, English classes.

Defining the problem/background

Media literacy is more important now than it has ever been before. Today, technology allows for anyone to generate information that the masses view. This doesn’t seem like a problem until false information is taken as hard facts. Instances of false information come in the form of online tabloids that simply want to generate views and don’t care about the validity of the statements made. Other forms of “fake news” are also found in mainstream media. Evidence of this comes from the shocking results of the presidential campaign despite all the news feeds hailing Hillary Clinton the victor  before the election ended. Fake news is a pervasive entity in our current society because of a lack of knowledge in media literacy as a whole and overall misunderstanding of how to critically analyze information. Media literacy is also key in the evolving career opportunity that is growing as fast as technology. Without proper knowledge of different media, opportunity for selection in certain fields won’t be available. By educating the youth in technology that will be utilized, it allows for a capable individual to handle different tasks that may confront them in the future.

Recommendation 

As essential as media literacy is to everyone today, only two states currently have media literacy requirements in place for high schools, though some integrate the teachings at their own discretion. According to an organization called Media Literacy Now, Florida and Ohio have officially implemented requirements for their students to demonstrate proficient skills in media literacy. Both states grant their school districts freedom on how to do this, which means that they are free to integrate the skills into existing courses. This allows schools and educators to decide how and where these lessons would fit in best for their student body. Following this style, we are proposing that Michigan high schools should integrate teachings in media literacy to existing English courses. English courses are required for all students to graduate and encompass many of the ideas that we would like to incorporate in teaching media literacy. According to Armada High School English teacher Michael Becker, “on a daily class level, it’s pretty easy to shift and amend as long as it fits in some way to the already established curriculum. If I wanted to shift all of the curriculum or add a new class, it’s a pretty lengthy bureaucracy. Lots of proposals, paperwork, meetings, etc.” Though we are choosing to implement the curriculum into existing English courses, freedom will be granted to each educator in how they choose to deliver the information.

Rather than providing a strict curriculum that cost large sums of money and time, we will provide a list of skills in which students will have to demonstrate proficiency. National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) proposed the following list of skills in which we anticipate this program resulting: basic knowledge of how to utilize technology, ability to create and share media on a global level, ethical analysis of media, and management and analysis of many modes of media at once.

To analyze the resulting proficiency, we propose that skills be evaluated in existing SAT testing. Two existing sections of the test could integrate the listed skills: reading as well as writing and language. According to The Princeton Review, the reading section is currently a 65 minute section comprised of 52 multiple choice questions regarding literature, natural and social science, historical documentation and more. The writing and language section is a 35 minute section made up of 44 multiple choice questions focusing on topics such as grammar, vocabulary, writing analysis and more. Both sections of the exam have aspects of our desired skills and we feel that integrating some media literacy content would not drastically alter the test but simply enhance its already established goals.

To provide teachers with the necessary tools to teach their students, we propose to integrate the skills into professional development days that are already taking place. Much of the content already provided to English educators could be used in the context of media literacy. For example, when learning about the ethical analysis of media, this could be integrated in ethical analysis of existing literature already present in the curriculum. We anticipate that this integration of media literacy and existing English content would not add large amounts of time to the professional development days. These days of professional development are already incorporated in the education budget, and would not require any additional funding. For the content that will be added to the professional development days, there are many free online resources specifically made for educating of teachers. As previously mentioned, Media Literacy Now is one of these resources. Their free presentations span a wide variety of topics within the realm of media literacy. Some of these include basics of copywriting, analysis of propaganda, using a smartphone, digital authorship, understanding cultural differences through media, and more. This is not the only free source of these lesson plans, making this plan essentially free and easily accessible.

However, there are positives and negatives to every policy, and this one is no different. The biggest positive aspect of this proposal is the fact that the lessons students will receive accurately mirror everyday life. Technology is essentially integrated into every facet of life: work, school, fitness, shopping, social interaction, etc. Being media literate will allow for success in all of these areas as well as enhance critical thinking skills. Our proposal will also close the gap in education levels between school districts. The establishment of standard skill levels across every school district will allow for every student to receive the same, necessary education. On the other hand, integrating media literacy in standardized curriculum does not come without its challenges such as preparing educators for the changes. Since staff are able to choose how to add the content to their courses, they will have to make changes to their current lesson plans. Lesson plan development is already a duty of the job and is therefore funded, but this could potentially be a difficult task. This also poses problems for professional development days. Media literacy content needs to be integrated into these existing days. The integration requires time and effort, which is a potential flaw in the proposal. Another potential problem is the attainment of technology for the classroom. It can not be assumed that every classroom in Michigan has equal amounts of technological tools. Although each teacher will have the ability to convey the lessons in ways they choose, technological tools are an essential part of this. Some school districts may not have the tools to teach as the educators see fit. Regardless of these potential problems, we believe that the proposal laid out is the best and most cost effective and efficient way to educate high school students on media literacy.

Proposal Alternatives 

Some districts may find it difficult to add material to already established professional development days. An alternative to doing so includes some type of online training or classes for teachers to take when it is most convenient for them. This offers even more leniency and flexibility to the incorporation of media literacy into curricula in that teachers have discretion even in learning how to teach it. However, by removing media literacy from the professional development days, districts must find ways to make teachers accountable for completing those online courses. Possible solutions include paying them time-and-a-half upon completion, offering incentives that remain within budget boundaries, or simply paying hourly wages for the time it takes to complete courses. The average annual salary of public school teachers, according to the Detroit Free Press, was $61,560 as of 2012. It is up to individual districts to decide how they will ensure that their teachers take those online trainings should they chose that alternative.

Ethical Analysis 

In analyzing the ethical ramifications of this decision, we must look at this under two possibilities: if it were to continue being a neglected subject and if media literacy were to become required.

Looking at this issue under the first terms, we are looking at the question of what effect this could have. The people who would gain the most from this are the people who cannot afford community college or university classes and are thus deprived of critical media consumption skills. So these people are more easily persuaded by media sources and, in some cases, could more easily be dissuaded from political involvement and establishing an unbiased world-view. This could have detrimental effects on their ability to navigate the world of jobs and cultural progress through limiting the skills that they could gain by understanding the wealth of information available for free over the internet. Also because no one would need to appeal to this audience except as a source of viewers for advertisers, their voice is lost in public discourse.

Looking at the possibility of providing this service to students, we run into various obstacles. For one, standardized testing has proved a hindering factor in teaching students necessary information. Because standardized testing is focused on testing the natural ability that is assumed to be translatable in areas of college study, students aren’t tested on the necessary information. This must be considered because teachers, not students, have the largest incentive for excelling. Teacher’s salaries and promotions improve based on average test scores, so “teaching from the test” is, at times, the most common practice. If Michigan is to establish a media literacy curriculum, one of the most important factors should be either further research on how this area of study could be translated to improving SAT scores, or toward lobbying national testing corporations to include areas of study like this on their tests.

And while this could provide better opportunities for low-income students, this would increase the stress felt by teachers. Thus what should be considered is using this as a replacement rather than as an addition to a certain weak point in Michigan curriculum.

Conclusion 

In conclusion, media literacy is essential to a student’s success in any career path and should be a required set of skills taught early on in their education, preferably in high school. Learning to understand, identify, and analyze media and their content will equip students with crucial critical thinking skills which they can implement and execute in all situations. The values and goals present in high school English classes, which are required for students to graduate, resonate with those of desired media literacy courses, so there is perhaps no better alternative subject in which to implement them. We have proposed that media literacy material and how to deliver it be introduced to teachers during already established professional development days so as not to dent budgets too greatly. Flexible media literacy curricula can also be easily accessed online and thus implemented into existing curricula at the discretion of teachers. With the digital age becoming increasingly saturated and inclusive, it is thus crucial that students be taught how to navigate through it, regardless of how school districts choose to do so.

Annotated Bibliography

Tanner , Kristi. Database: How much do Michigan teachers get paid. Detroit Free Press, 2014

This source was chosen because it provided statistics that are pertinent our policy. Knowing how much annual salary that teachers are paid in Michigan can allow our financial plan work well with money already allocated for education and supplies. This article also provided trends in the salary and what possible changes could be made in the future.  The  trends of the market have fluctuated and with these statistics one can measure a safe budget.

Wyman-Blackburn, Steven. Getting Literal about media Literacy in K12

This article provided great information about fake news and the use of fake news in the media weather it was intentional or not. This article provided efforts that have been made to approach media literacy in schools. The article provided an explanation about how certain districts combat just listening to what media tells you and making a sound educated decision through researching facts using media as a tool. This document can give great cues to combat illiteracy in media and give students the ability to make critical thinking second nature.

Media Literacy Now, Inc. 2015

This source was used because we needed to find various ways to incorporate media literacy. Media Literacy now offers a multitude of  options to teach. The organization provides links to different types of media such as radio and writing. Consortium’s  and libraries are also available. WIth these resources we were able to gather sound and effect tools that would make great accommodations to teach students.

Olshan, Jeremy. “Rich kids use the Internet to get ahead, and poor kids use it mindlessly.” 2015

Simply put, this article hits in the direction on why we believe media literacy is key in schools. By looking at resources provided for children and access to internet shows how younger individuals use media. The article speaks on the unfair advantage that wealth provides and when the opportunity to use the same resources arise such as smartphones and computers, they are used differently. Not only does this article provide truth to our statements but it also allows us to focus what should be the main goal is being successful in our policy.

TPR Education Holdings, LLC. 2017

In order to make good decisions on how testing should go, this source was use to figure out how testing works. This web source provided clear changes in testing and also showed the the value and way the tests are structured. By analyzing this data we can construct a way to make our recommendation and add new standards to testing without being redundant and ill effective. Also by looking at  this blueprint, we also brainstormed on new ways that testing could be administered besides just pencil and paper.

38 percent of 2014 high school graduates enrolled in college were in labor force in October 2014 : The Economics Daily. (2015, April 20). Retrieved April 17, 2017

Bureau of Labor Statistics Article “38 percent of 2014 high school graduates enrolled in college were in labor force October 2014.” This article showed the proportion of high school graduates that were not enrolled in college at 72.7. This datum was important in understanding the size of high school graduates that would be unable to gain media literacy knowledge through college instruction and thus would never be able to gain this knowledge through instruction.

Jerold, Craig. “Teach to the Test? Just say no.” 2006.

This article describes the rampancy of “teaching to the test” or specifically instructing students on how to take a standardized test rather than teaching necessary skills. Since this is such a common practice, it was thought that making attempts to change the skills on the test to better fit necessary life skills would help cement the information for students.