Athan Kang (10) | STAFF REPORTER
As of 2023, the internet has become one of the largest systems for attaining information. Anyone with a device is able to access millions of sources by just hitting a few buttons. With this system becoming more widely used than ever, it is suggested that media literacy should be implemented into school curriculums to promote digital citizenship and online safety.
When the World Wide Web was introduced to the general public in the 1990s, people were able to access and upload any form of information for everyone else to see. This would lead to many issues, such as uploading fake information and malicious websites. And individuals who believe misinformation on a website may obliviously spread it to their friends, family, and coworkers. Without immediate action, misleading data will spread like wildfire now that various social media platforms now exist.
When a survey regarding the issue was conducted, approximately 46% weren’t able to determine the differences between legitimate and fraudulent sites. Without the skills to properly analyze sources for bias and credibility, people cannot successfully conclude what should and shouldn’t be trusted. Thus, schools should take responsibility to educate students so they are able to distinguish between reliable and unreliable websites on the internet.
Despite today’s generation of “digital natives” growing up with a phone or tablet, they still manage to struggle with detecting credibility on the web. To this day, many suspicious and dangerous sites exist in an infinite variety of forms. As society slowly comes to realize this hazard, the large sector advocates for the integration of a media literacy course in schools so that students learn how to roam safely on the internet.
Media literacy has become insurmountably crucial as the world becomes exorbitantly digitized. More people are seen with computers in their hands and cell phones have become an essential part of everyone’s lives. Without the proper knowledge and awareness of the dark web, the World Wide Web that once revolutionized societies will soon turn against humankind.
