This evolving generation of technology has given the world the infinite possibilities of learning something new, especially during free time and not in a classroom. One question to ask, though, is it valid?
In an interview with Julie Smith, Smith discusses the importance of media literacy and the self-awareness of the resources we are acknowledging. The risk behind relying on social media as our source of research is that it can be considered “fake news” or “fake material,” where the content is made up or misinterpreted by the user spreading the information. This can sometimes happen for economic reasons (advertisement, propaganda, etc.) or to hopefully gain the viewers’ trust where the intent of revealing the truth will come after a population gain. As for users spreading the content, this can be especially risky for users like educators, lawyers, or even government officials, due to the world’s high reliance on expecting users like these not to share false information. Though there should be an understanding that no one is perfect and that people make mistakes; however, it is always important to investigate further the acquire knowledge.
Sometimes, if not all the time, there will be opinions shared where the commenters may disagree with the given information. It is up to the users to either investigate more as to why the opinion has been said or simply ignore it. The great thing about social media in this aspect that Smith mentions is that it is easy to block users who become overly aggressive with their comments, as opposed to dealing with it in person, where it is hard to walk away / engage with. In my opinion, the best way to reply to negative replies is simply to give people the chance to speak their opinion and share yours. If the negativity continues where it affects your PLN, then simply block. That way, at least you were able to share your thoughts and opinion, and you got to hear them. That is the benefit of having a PLN that values media literacy, the capability to hear others, have others hear you, and if it’s too overwhelming, you can deal with it later, as opposed to dealing with it all at once.