Critical Thinking and Media Literacy

 Summary

The activity explains how mass media influences our perception of reality and emphasizes the importance of critical thinking and media literacy. Media includes TV, radio, internet, ads, and more. These channels communicate messages that are often designed to persuade, entertain, or manipulate us.

Critical thinking means analyzing messages carefully, using observation, logic, and reasoning. Media literacy is the ability to “read” media texts beyond the surface, identifying hidden messages, purposes, and strategies like emotional appeal, generalizations, or celebrity endorsements.

The activity also reminds us that every media text is created from a certain point of view, and no media is fully objective. Therefore, it's important to question what we see and hear, and form our own opinions based on deep analysis.

My opinion

I believe media literacy is essential today. We are constantly exposed to media, and without critical thinking, we can be easily manipulated. We must question what we see, who created it, and why.

In my experience, thinking critically has helped me make better decisions. We shouldn’t always trust our first thought or opinion. Listening to different ideas and checking other sources can help us understand things better and be more open to new perspectives.