History repeats itself: a tale as old as time. In a society driven by social media and false news, students are suffering from the easy access to it all. Awareness of current events and history has faltered as education has not been keeping up with modern changes. Media literacy is one of the most important skills to have in a time of technological change.

Media literacy is the ability for someone to analyze stories in the mass media to determine their accuracy or credibility. However, many students are unaware of what media literacy is and are unable to describe it. In a poll sent out to the entire school, a good majority of people stated they could not describe what they thought media literacy is. 46.4% of polled students said they did not know what media literacy is, 24.7% said maybe, and only 28.9% said yes.

On top of students not being able to know what media literacy is, 121 out of 166 polled state that they cannot remember learning about media literacy in any of their English classes. However, while students struggle to remember learning about media literacy, it is apparent that they are still taught the foundations of it unknowingly.

In a survey, students were asked a series of questions on how they practice media literacy. Vast majority of students highlighted that they practice media literacy despite other students not being able to recognize what it is. 63.3% of students polled stated that they do look to see if a source is credible before reading. 42.2% of students polled question the author’s experience when reading an article compared to the 25.3% that said no, they do not and the 28.3% that replied maybe. 59% of students look for obvious bias when reading articles. Only 3% said they do not care about bias when reading. An overwhelming majority of 81.9% of students said they do not use Wikipedia as a reliable source. While Wikipedia can be a good resource for finding materials, articles, and varying sources that may be credible, Wikipedia in itself is not credible due to how anyone can edit it.

“Media literacy is so important today because so many people are struggling with confirmation bias,” history teacher, Mr. Socha said.

Another major problem relating to media literacy, is confirmation bias. Confirmation bias is actively looking for sources or news that only fits someone’s beliefs. It also involves ignoring sources that make a person experience cognitive dissonance. However, out of students polled a good majority, 57.2%, stated that they do not stop reading articles if they do not align with their ideology.

Overall, 77.7% of all the students that were polled stated that they care about finding sources that lack bias, seem reliable, and quote their own sources. The results of the survey are significant because they highlight how people may not know it, but they are actively practicing media literacy. Practicing media literacy is important because the benefits of it can help people become more conscious in their online engagement.

“Understanding media literacy is a crucial skill in our time as we are forced to navigate vast amounts of information. I believe that media literacy empowers us to discern credible sources from unreliable sources, make informed decisions (which per our conversation in class the other day-this is by far the most important), and understand bias,” English teacher, Mrs. Short said.

By being able to tell the difference between credible and unreliable sources students are able to not only produce higher quality work, but they are also able to broader their own beliefs and become exposed to varying ideologies and opinions.

“From a historical perspective, trends in media control can shed light on how power structures influence media content and potentially shape public opinion. From a literature perspective, exploring works that critique or reflect societal values and norms can provide insights into how media can both reflect and shape cultural trends and thus shape reader’s opinion,” Mrs. Short said.

Within understanding and analyzing history and English people are able to understand the complexities of media literacy. Being able to understand the past, analyze its effects within literature, and recognizing patterns that can appear is important in a time where polarization between groups is rising. The popular phrase “history repeats itself” was created for a reason. Human behavior is a predictable phenomenon and because of this, patterns occur, and history can often repeat itself. Therefore, by understanding and analyzing history and literature, the effects of media literacy are in full effect.

“It is very important to recognize trends in history and literature especially when it comes to context. Students can understand events better when they can evaluate the content in which things happen or are written,” Mr. Socha said.

In the survey, students were asked to rank there understanding of current events and past historical events. In doing so, their media literacy within social media and history was evaluated. They were asked to rate their understanding of the events on a scale of 1-5 with 5 being they understand the event fluently.

Students were more aware of historical versus current events. 59% of students rated their understanding of World War II and the Holocaust at a 5 with 0% rating their understanding a 1. Compared to the current war between Palestine and Gaza, only 8.4% of students rating their understanding a 5 with majority rating their understanding a 3 at 27.7%. The difference is significant because it shows how students are becoming disconnected from current events which can impact their ability to understand and analyze the patterns that evolve in history.

Now, when looking at the difference between grades, it is important to recognize the differences in development for all students. The COVID-19 pandemic effected every generation of students differently, likewise, younger grades may not be as exposed to media literacy.

The seniors had the best overall understanding of media literacy. Out of the 24 seniors that took the survey, 9 said yes, meaning 37.5% of seniors that took the survey understand media literacy. For juniors, 11 out of 40, or 27.5%, said they understand media literacy. For sophomores, 31.1% of those polled, or 14 out of 45, claimed they know what media literacy is. Finally, for freshman, they were the most polled grade with 57 students completing the survey, and out of them only 9 students, or 15.8% of students, said they know what media literacy is.

The differences are significant because students need to understand media literacy due to the rise of technology and social media. While media literacy is taught in the classroom, the practice of it can benefit students outside of school. Just by scrolling on a social media feed one can see viral content and news that may be spreading misinformation or harmful messages. By being well-versed in media literacy students can recognize this discrepancy.

“When looking at my own kids, media literacy equips everyone (even elementary age kids) which the necessary skills to participate responsibly in online communities,” Mrs. Short said.

By practicing media literacy outside of the classroom, students are able to protect themselves on social media and online. Younger students, as shown in the survey, are not as aware of media literacy as older students. The importance of it does not diminish though and teachers will continue working to help students understand the importance of looking for reliable sources when participating in assignments, papers, and projects.

“Teachers can teach students about the importance of evaluating the credibility of sources,” Mr. Socha said.

Media literacy is going to become more and more important as technology and false news spread. Everybody is a click, swipe, or tap away from misinformation and lies that hide in every nook and cranny of the internet. Learning and understanding bias in the media will be a significant tool for the upcoming generations to be able to navigate the internet. Overall, media literacy is significant in aiding students to keep themselves safe on the internet and to help them boost their knowledge of current events.