Media literacy can be improved by making sure students know reputable sites and when to spot false information. An important aspect is also to make sure students know how to research and how to research. By this, I mean that students know to look at multiple sources not just one, but also to ask questions, especially in the realm of education, when learning students need to ask questions to obtain information. 

     Students not being aware of the importance of media literacy can be problematic and even dangerous. As educators, we need to ensure that our students are developing life skills inside of our classroom, and media literacy is definitely an important skill. Even outside of research inside school for studying, tests, and papers it applies to the everyday world. Students outside of the classroom will be taking in all kinds of media, a common problem occurring right now in younger groups is following dangerous trends on TikTok that individuals have not fully stated the dangers of, or have lied about completely to “joke” around not realizing that some people may actually try it resulting in serious harm. 

     Not only this, but eventually once your students go into the world they will need to make decisions that should be based on information such as voting, picking a college, loans, picking a car, and so on. All of these things can be influenced by media but also could be influenced by the first thing that pops up on a Google search. Teaching students to be thorough search multiple sources and ask multiple people gives them the power to make decisions based on ample information that will result in the best outcome for their personal needs, and also creates individuals who know better than to be easily swayed and can stand behind their beliefs and facts. 

     To me as an educator this is important because it is my duty to provide my students with a toolset that they can use outside of my classroom in the real world and media literacy can not only protect you but also make you more confident in your decisions, promote curiosity, and even keep the student from making or being affected by harmful false statements.

There is no specific pin point of the origin of this widespread myth, it is passed down by mouth, by jokes "you have the memory of a goldfish," there is even a song called "Three Second Memory by The Goldfish."

The Truth: Multiple studies have found that goldfish have good memory and can recall information for up to a month.

Resources:

https://www.npr.org/2020/01/08/794625042/myth-busting-blind-as-a-bat-and-memory-of-a-goldfish

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-63242200

This myth is usually upheld by word and in movies, but also by the assumption made when seeing images of astronauts floating.

The Truth: There actually is gravity everywhere in space. The Reason we see astronauts floating inside ships is actually because they are slowly falling down towards earth causing them to float.

Resources:

https://www.wonderopolis.org/wonder/why-is-there-no-gravity-in-space

https://www.nasa.gov/learning-resources/for-kids-and-students/what-is-microgravity-grades-5-8/#:~:text=Some%20people%20think%20that%20there,Earth%20to%20orbit%20the%20sun.

This false fact is widely spread and is intentional misinformation. This misinformation is widely spread by companies promoting their milk. This took a particular rise in WWII in an attempt to resolve the demand issue for an expensive product such as meat by making milk highly desired. This initiative also widely pushed the idea that milk is healthy leading to milk being added to almost every cafeteria meal in America.

The Truth: Dieticians, dairy companies, and science conclude that milk is not neccessary to a diet and does not make children grow more. Height is a predetermined genetic factor and your body will signal when to close growth plates due to genetics and hormones, not diet. On top of this milk can actually be harmful when over consumed because it is so high in fat content which can lead to clogged arteries and cause heart disease(Americas #1 killer), acne, and weight gain.

Resources:

https://plantbasednews.org/opinion/twisted-history-milk-america/

https://www.pcrm.org/good-nutrition/nutrition-information/health-concerns-about-dairy#:~:text=Milk%20and%20other%20dairy%20products%20are%20the%20top%20sources%20of,which%20remains%20America's%20top%20killer.

• An Article: https://www.hmhco.com/blog/4-tips-to-teach-students-news-media-literacy-in-the-digital-age

• A Video: https://youtu.be/9MJFRr7mY-Y?si=D4BJL7mOuA7fx3AM

• A Quiz: https://mediasmarts.ca/quiz/break-fake-news

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