The Meaning behind Media and Information Literacy

People have always been weary of hearing the word MIL or Media and Information Literacy. We always associate it to something related to news and some forms of education, not unless we searched for it on the internet because our teacher told us so. (Lol) But let's ask ourselves, "How do we gain information when there is no media?" Considering all the technologies we have at home, we always get updated on happenings around the world, most especially the useful informations. Or was it really useful? Useful or not useful, our life depends on media and information. Claim it. When we watch videos on youtube or facebook, do we learn something from it? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. But do we apply it in our lives? Definitely. Media doesn't always mean news, neither thus information, but it is about how people react to it. It is how people have a sense of understanding, engage in the society and create messages in various forms. One clear is example is the news about Dengvaxia, or the anti dengue vaccine developed by Sanofi. It was said to immunize 730,000 children in the Philippines, only to find that it could just worsen the case as 3 children have reportedly died because of the vaccine. (amp.theguardian.com/world/2017/dec/05/suspended-dengue-vaccine-children-philippines-sanofi) This doesn't only terrified the people who heard the news but was also awaken of how they should take better care of themselves and of their children. With this disseminated information through media, we are not just informed of the said occurence but also wary of our environment. Without media and information, we definitely won't be able to create and organize a life in the digital society. Thus, we ask ourselves again, "How is media useful to us people?"

"Image Source: DW.COM