Thread by @jenniferlagarde

I'm seeing a lot of memes related to gas prices being shared today. It makes sense. Not only are high gas prices a source of extreme frustration, but memes are an easy and satisfying way to capture and share what are often complex ideas and feelings. 🧵1/

Most people don't think twice about engaging with these informational amuse-bouches. They often seem harmless and dismissible - which may be one reason why these image based info-nuggets have become a popular tool for spreading disinformation & hate. 🧵2/ axios.com/2021/02/23/mem…

"For years there's been growing concern that deepfakes (doctored pictures/videos) would become truth's greatest threat. Instead memes have proven 2B a more effective tool in spreading misinfo b/c they're easier to produce & harder to moderate using artificial intelligence." 🧵 3/

We know that young people sometimes see memes as lighthouses in a stormy sea of competing media, guiding them to specific islands of information. "That’s how I find out what's going on in the world, and what kinds of stories I should be looking at." 🧵4/ slj.com/story/Get-Smar…

This can result in a number of undesirable outcomes:
📍Search terms distorted by language used in memes
📍Search results influenced by conspiracy theories, false information, etc.
📍Repeated exposure leading to internalized messaging
📍Desensitization to harmful content
🧵5/

.@dhudgins & I regularly use memes as a way to teach the #infolit principles in our book Developing Digital Detectives b/c
📍memes are easy to create and digest
📍memes are intentionally constructed media messages that are worthy of scrutiny
🧵6/ my.iste.org/s/store#/store…

Our work was used in this article from Scholastic Jr - which includes an activity that can be implemented right away.
junior.scholastic.com/issues/2021-22…
This version, from Scholastic Upfront, may be more useful for older learners.
upfront.scholastic.com/pages/promotio…
🧵 7/

Here's an activity I regularly use with learners of all ages to help them reflect on what they've learned - often about memes and #medialiteracy! This link will force you to make your own copy. You can also duplicate the Padlet board linked there. 🧵8/ docs.google.com/presentation/d…

But aren't some memes just funny? Of course! But dismissing memes, wholesale, as not serious sources of information sends the message that they aren't worthy of scrutiny, which couldn't be further from the truth. 🧵9/

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