All students are taught how to analyze novels in English class throughout high school, yet close to none are taught to analyze the information that they consume most: social media. This is why Cherry Hill High School East should include media literacy in the curriculum for English classes.

Media literacy is the ability to identify media and understand its message and influence. In its simplest form, it is defined by the National Association of Media Literacy Education as accessing, analyzing, evaluating, and creating using all forms of communication. In an increasingly technology-reliant age, media literacy is a crucial skill, especially for teenagers, who are fed content daily through social media.

In fact, according to a poll, 86% of Gen Z Americans get their news from social media. Some 15-year-olds may be gathering information faster than their parents or grandparents. But although social media can provide rapid updates and allow diverse voices to be heard, it also opens the floodgate for misinformation.  From manipulative images, videos, and even online intimidation, users — especially teens — are misled every day. Media literacy is crucial to knowing what is true and what is false.

Furthermore, being educated on information is extremely beneficial in multiple ways. Research on media literacy education showed that it can reduce racial stereotypes, as well as reduce body image issues that are often found in adolescents. 

Media literacy education first originated in the United States and the United Kingdom as a direct result of widespread propaganda and advertising that arose in the 1930s and 1960s. These efforts sought to teach citizens and media users analytical skills. However, in a broader sense, they also aimed to warn students against media consumption, which ultimately failed. 

Now, the call for media literacy focuses on making consumers more informed and critical, rather than eliminating the use of media. Other countries have implemented models to provide media literacy education, including Finland, Australia, and Canada. 

Therefore, East should teach media literacy as a part of English classes. Media literacy requires the ability and willingness to view media from different perspectives. It goes hand-in-hand with classes where students are already being asked to analyze and question texts.

In order for students to become proficient in media literacy, East should teach them to think critically when encountering information and to become smart consumers. Students should also be taught or encouraged to create media responsibly, as well as identify the role of media in our daily lives. 

Media literacy is a crucial skill to equip students with the tools to properly discern fact from fiction and engage thoughtfully. Leaving media literacy out of a student’s curriculum doesn’t stop them from consuming media — it only leaves them unprepared to understand it. In order to truly create critical thinkers, media literacy education must be included.