How to become Media Literate

Try to reason out why a particular post was created. Is it merely for entertaining the viewers, or is it trying to persuade them towards a certain belief or conspiracy? Does it include only one side of the story and ignore other important viewpoints? Or is it un-biased and well-rounded? Often, the facts might be cherry-picked to suit a specific agenda or narrative held by the publisher, and hence, it cannot be trusted.

Even if the intent behind a post is harmless and the authors are neutral and unbiased, we should check the quality of their information before accepting it as the truth. Often, there is misuse or misquotation of statistics and the findings of research studies, usually to generate more clicks. Genuine publishers include a bibliography or list of sources used - do look into them on your own and evaluate the evidence provided. Is it published by a for-profit to suit their own vested interest, or by a peer-reviewed, neutral party?

Lastly, think about how you felt after going through the content? Was it trying to make you feel a certain emotion on purpose? Some headlines exaggerate the findings, or try inducing fear or panic among the public, since such messages get the most views and reactions. Read through the entire post and its sources before overreacting.