Let’s be honest: most students consume more news on TikTok and Instagram than they do through official news sites. And that wouldn’t be such a bad thing — if they were better equipped to tell fact from fiction.
However, social media has become a potent breeding ground for misinformation, and schools aren’t doing enough to help students navigate it.
Students are taught how to write essays, solve equations and memorize complex formulas. Important as these skills are, none of them can help you identify a deepfake, or distinguish whether a viral headline is satirical, biased or plain wrong.
In a time when misinformation spreads faster than truth, media literacy is a legitimate concern.
Studies have shown that false news spreads six times faster than real news on X. Social media algorithms often promote content based on engagement, not accuracy.
This means emotionally charged misinformation — especially about critical issues like politics, health and world events — rises to the top.
During the covid-19 pandemic, conspiracy theories flourished online. We saw fake cures, anti-vaccine lies and dangerous health advice rack up millions of views. More recently, misinformation surrounding elections and world conflicts has influenced public opinion to an enormous extent.
When students can’t tell the truth apart from manipulation, they become vulnerable — not merely as individuals, but as voters and citizens. Not only does this endanger people themselves, but also the integrity and strength of the communities they participate in.
While some may argue that it’s not a school’s job to deal with what kids see online, such a viewpoint misses the mark entirely. We’re already teaching students how to think critically in other areas, and for good reason.
Media literacy is simply applying those same skills — logic, reasoning, research and fact-checking — to the content they engage with on a daily basis. Most students already interact with social media more often than they do with literary analyses or math, emphasizing the necessity of teaching media literacy.
Media literacy encompasses teaching students how to ask the right questions: Who created this content? What biases might they have? Is the content’s purpose to inform, persuade or manipulate?
Teaching media literacy might not be so important if social media weren’t so impactful — but that’s not the reality we live in.
When people make decisions based on lies, whether it’s in a voting booth or during a public health crisis, everyone pays the price. Teaching students how to navigate digital information is an investment in a more informed, thoughtful and responsible society.
