SUMMATIVE TEST IN MEDIA AND INFORMATION LITERACY

1.
Social media plays an important role in every student’s life. It is often easier and more
convenient to access information, provide information and communicate via social media.
Social media has taken over the education sector. It has had a long-lasting impact on the way
people communicate and has now become an integral part of their lives. Social media’s
influence has given rise to a different genre of communication, where conversations are quick
and information is easily relayed.
As a student, Social media is my go to medium to interact with my teachers, classmates,
friends, and family members. Social media provides a smoother, more direct communication
tool between students, teachers and parents, who can check in and ask or respond to
questions. Social media allows for more e-learning opportunities as well. As remote jobs and
online classes are becoming more popular, training students to work from a distance is an
important lesson, and social media can help with that. Online communication has brought
information to people and audiences that previously could not be reached.

With the replacement of brick and mortar system of education with online classes,
social media has become that bulletin board where you can get all the information about
classes, doubt clearing sessions, and results. It also helps students connect with their fellow
mates to discuss and share information. The teachers too these days have taken up social
media to interact with the students, educate them and clear their doubts. Thus, social media is
no more a disturbance, but a constant companion for students during their studying phase.

Social media has gained credibility as a trusted source of information. Apart from that it
also provides a great platform for teachers and students to interact. The students can also
expand their horizons by getting in touch with teachers around the world and gain more
knowledge. Through social media, the teachers can engage the students more in studies
through different methods of teaching. Now one does not have to call each other to pass on the
information. Sharing any information is just a click away with social media. Thus, students can
share useful information, study material, projects, practice paper, and other exam details with
their friends and other fellow students.
Social media also provides a great platform for students to share their knowledge. The
students, who clear the exam, take to social media to share their knowledge and
their preparation strategy which is very helpful for the students who are preparing for the
exam. So while social media can be used to showcase your skills and share your knowledge, it
acts as a guide to the students, who are aiming to achieve something in their lives.

2.
 Never before in human history has it been possible to communicate so quickly during a
pandemic, social media platforms have been a key piece for the dissemination of information;
however, there are multiple advantages and disadvantages that must be considered.
Responsible use of these tools can help quickly disseminate important new information,
relevant new scientific findings, share diagnostic, treatment, and follow up protocols, as well as
compare different approaches globally, removing geographic boundaries for the first time in
history.

Social media platforms are amongst the most widely used sources of information in the
World, the easy and inexpensive access to the internet and a large number of registered users
in these platforms make them one of the easiest and most effective ways to disseminate
information. Among the disadvantages, we have the possibility that information transmitted is
not current, has not been subjected to peer review, is invalid, incorrect, not applicable to our
environment, or even false. Finally, probably the worst face of social media is the potential to
disseminate erroneous, alarmist, and exaggerated information that can cause fear, stress,
depression, and anxiety in people with or without underlying psychiatric illnesses.

Social Media usage has been shown to increase in situations of natural disaster and
other crises. It is crucial for the scientific community to understand how social media works in
order to enhance our capabilities and make a more resilient community. Through social media
communication, the scientific community can collaborate around the globe in a faster way the
most important findings of a disease, with a decreased knowledge transition time to other
healthcare providers (HCPs). This is greatly important to coordinate research and knowledge
during a time of uncertainty and protentional fake news. During the 2020 global pandemic,
social media has become an ally but also a potential threat. High volumes of information
compressed into a short period can result in overwhelmed HCPs trying to discern fact from
noise. A major limitation of social media currently is the ability to quickly disseminate false
information which can confuse and distract. Society relies on educated scientists and physicians
to be leaders in delivering fact-based information to the public. For this reason, in times of
crises it is important to be leaders in the conversation of social media to guide correct and
helpful information and knowledge to the masses looking for answers.

3.
 In the wake of COVID-19 and its impact on the world, we check the news several times a
day. This news comes to us through a variety of traditional and digital news channels. Digital
channels, such as news apps, instant messaging apps, social media sites (like Facebook or
Twitter) disseminate news faster than traditional channels (newspaper, TV, radio). And who
listens to the radio or watches TV these days? For most of us, our source of instant news is a
messaging app like WhatsApp or one of the news apps (every newspaper now has a news app).
For others, it could be a social media platform like Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. While we
are fortunate to have so many sources of news, and to receive news instantly, there is a
downside to that too. These channels are now being misused to spread fake news and this can
have serious implications on our mental health and on society, in general. There are people
who take advantage of the situation and try to induce fear by spreading false news. But we may
also be unknowingly be spreading false news, by forwarding these messages to others in our
circle of trust.
Fake news, and especially politically motivated fake news, has some clear characteristics
that make it different from other types of misinformation, including satire and propaganda.
Identify fake news by asking yourself: Does it play on your emotions? Does it take a stance on a
highly controversial issue? Is it political? Is it sensational? Is it topical? Does it use hyperbole? Is
it viral? Is it breaking news? Is it clickbait? Different formats of media come with their own
conventions. Most fake news that you will encounter disguises itself as legitimate online news,
so knowing the conventions of legitimate online news sources will help you understand how
fake news differs. Check the domain name, Check for an About Us page, a Contact Us page, or
other information pages, Check the links, Have a look at the web design, Learn to recognize
paid content, Check who owns the domain, and Research the images.
We live in the digital age and are more exposed to the news than ever. We also have
tools that empower anyone to create and distribute news. So it is really important to discern
between authentic and fake news. Fake news can disrupt society and create social unrest, and
even wars. So it is important for us to identify it and stop sending it to others in our circle of
trust. Because we may unknowingly be spreading fake news.