How do you know what you know? Name one new thing you learned using a social media site today and explain why you believe it is true. What source did you use to acquire this information? At times, are social media sites reliable for obtaining credible information?
I know what I know from word of mouth, reading, and researching. As children, we tended to believe everything adults told us. I think that we should teach children to respectably question things. If they are questioning something, they should have the right to ask their teacher, or parent why they believe something is true. I tend to think more scientifically rather than believing everything I hear or read. I like to have data and facts, or at least evidence that points in the direction of the story. I also like to read contrasting views to produce my own fair opinion. Since the Internet produces so many false stories, I wonder if children will begin to not trust anything they read at first? Today's children will become the most media literate of any generation, I wonder what the impacts of that will be on their relationships as they grow older?
One thing I have learned today on a social media site was via Facebook and it was an article on an unidentified respiratory virus that is likely to hit kids across the country. I do believe it is true to an extent. I originally saw someone post the story from The Huffington Post, I did some more research and also saw the story on abc News, Fox 31 Denver. and CBS Denver. The headline sounds a lot more ominous than it could be. The respiratory virus is likely human enterovirus 68. I googled the virus and read some various articles that pertained to it. Although this could potentially be a fatal virus, especially in children with Asthma, there are some measures that the CDC recommends such as basic sanitary practices. This is also a common time for viruses to spread as it is the beginning of the school year, so it is natural to see an up rise in sicknesses in children. Yes, this has potential to spread, right now it seems to be clustered in the Midwest so I think it is too early to tell what will happen.
One thing I have learned today on a social media site was via Facebook and it was an article on an unidentified respiratory virus that is likely to hit kids across the country. I do believe it is true to an extent. I originally saw someone post the story from The Huffington Post, I did some more research and also saw the story on abc News, Fox 31 Denver. and CBS Denver. The headline sounds a lot more ominous than it could be. The respiratory virus is likely human enterovirus 68. I googled the virus and read some various articles that pertained to it. Although this could potentially be a fatal virus, especially in children with Asthma, there are some measures that the CDC recommends such as basic sanitary practices. This is also a common time for viruses to spread as it is the beginning of the school year, so it is natural to see an up rise in sicknesses in children. Yes, this has potential to spread, right now it seems to be clustered in the Midwest so I think it is too early to tell what will happen.
Social media sites are at times a reliable source for obtaining credible information but in my opinion it should not be the sole source of information. I try to find multiple sources that have the same information but even then I don't necessarily believe what I read, I take the news with a grain of salt. I know that like any business, the media needs to make money and by creating over the top headlines, they are likely to get more views than a source who doesn't.
Katie,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog and one part really touched home with me. You talk about how we need to teach our children to respectably question things. I fully support this idea and I really try to implement that with my own children. I will not let my oldest son be satisfied with an answer if he thinks the answer isn't right. Now you can take this with a grain of salt as my son is almost 5 years old and you may think that at that age how can he know what to question and challenge? I have tried to teach him by example. I ask why when I ask him a question and he gives me a one word answer, or when my wife and I answer questions, we try to demonstrate to him when and how to seek more from the answer. I know it sounds funny but I truly believe that the more we can teach our kids to challenge things, the more they will be able to make ethical decisions on their own. I don't want my kids to grow up being satisfied with a simple Yes or No, instead I want them to seek answers and question things they don't understand, because I want them to be able to think for themselves and to positively be satisfied when they reach a conclusion to something. I really enjoyed this blog and can really relate to several points you make. I also don't treat social media as the one and only reliable source for information and I rarely believe anything I read until I can prove that its true. Great job.
Thank you Ryan! I am glad that you teach your son to question and to not be satisfied with a yes or no answer. I do not have children but if I do down the road I will try to implement the same.
ReplyDeleteThanks Katie
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