Are You Media Literate? A Quick Quiz

by | Nov 3, 2022 | Uncategorized

What does it mean to be media literate? Media literacy is essentially the ability to apply critical thinking in order to analyse the signs, messages, and symbols depicted in mass media. Digital literacy allows us to understand the meaning behind the content we’re faced with, whether it be on TV, radio, in newspapers, or online.

Let’s take a quick quiz to see how literate you are when it comes to various forms of media.

How can you try to look like the women and men you see in adverts?

  1. Purchase and use the products being advertised
  2. Follow a healthy lifestyle and exercise routine
  3. Realise that what is depicted is manipulated to market the product/service and achieving that look is not possible

Who is responsible for creating the messages we see in the media?

  1. People who use social media to post, message, tweet, and share information online
  2. People employed by large corporations that own the media we use and consume
  3. Both a) and b)

If someone is behaving inappropriately on one of the sites or platforms you’re using, you should:

  1. Log off and ignore the person
  2. Respond to the person directly  
  3. Report the post or profile to the site or platform moderation team

What is the meaning of censorship?

  1. When disinformation is used to influence the opinions or behaviours of others
  2. When a word is blocked out using asterisks
  3. When information is suppressed, filtered, or deleted to deter one from using their right to freedom of speech

How can you combat unrealistic ideal body standards in the media?

  1. Learn how to discern what is real and what is manipulated in the media
  2. Think critically about what the message could be behind the media
  3. Both a) and b)

Results

If you answered “C” to most (or all) of the questions, congratulations! You possess the capacity to critically analyse the media you’re exposed to and can now claim the title of “media literate”. You spend a little extra time engaging with content in order to understand the “why”. You see right through media manipulation tactics and possess the ability to educate others on media literacy.