While there are a few definitions of media literacy, in a media effects class I took back in college I learned that media literacy means to have the aptitude to consume media, i.e., film, television, or traditional press, by using critical thinking filters to identify “misrepresentations.” They can range from manipulation in advertising including political propaganda, to discerning sensationalism from news, to distortion of race and gender in media narrative. Now if we look at what digital literacy encompasses, it includes the understanding of how to use digital technologies to locate, access, assess, organize, understand and create information.
What is social media literacy?
Let’s start with what I think social media literacy is NOT. Knowing how to use Twitter, Facebook or Google Wave is not demonstrating social media literacy – these are platforms that host communities and conversations, and communities can migrate to the next platform du jour. But would knowing how to use Twitter, Facebook or Google Wave mean that an individual is digitally literate? If I apply the above definition of digital literacy, then I would say yes.
I think social media literacy is having the proficiency to communicate appropriately, responsibly, and to evaluate conversations critically within the realm of socially-based technologies.
Where it all intersects
Social media ecosystems are currently accessed by computers and smartphones or even ported to play on big screens through gaming consoles – and I know there are communication and transmission conduits that have yet to be invented, which will continue to transform how we interact with and consume content. Currently, social media ecosystems are made up of media channels created by citizens, media companies or brands – which are digitally literate. The digitally literate possess interests, agendas, values, philosophies, traditions, religions, and beliefs, as well as cultural perspectives.
So, what does this all mean? It means media literacy, digital literacy, and social media literacy, have distinct features yet relate because technology, content, and conversations intersect.
How to manage the complexities
To be able to manage the complexities of modern communications and its ever-changing technologies, the following are seven approaches to consider:
- Impression management – Establish different social accounts or blogs to manage different personas and topics, or between professional and personal interests, and share them respectively with your targeted audiences.
- Monitoring and reputation management – Listen through search and other tools, and participate when needed to manage and maintain your online personal or business brand to reflect the set of values that you believe.
- Critical thinking content consumption – In the absence of traditional media fact-checking or with the presence of media agendas, always critically analyze content that is shared and published by others – whether from citizens, brands or governments. Consider the content before you share.
- Responsible “conversationalism” – Use common sense when communicating online since conversations become content that are frequently indexed, difficult to delete if replicated, and thus forever searchable.
- Social media outpost management – It isn’t necessary to participate in every social network, but select the ones that are best suited for your objectives and then commit; claim and own your brand or persona on those platforms that you’re not going to be active on to secure it.
- Information management – Establish approaches and routines as well as adopt tools to help manage the flood of content streams encountered on a daily basis – to balance the noise to quality ratio of information consumed.
- Technology management – Determine which are the best technologies for your communication and consumption needs, and assess whether an upgrade or platform change makes sense. All technologies become obsolete and ultimately technology is the means not the end.
What does this mean for you?
Well, if media is becoming driven by brands and brands are driven by people who have the ability to shape the media through digital and social media, then education around the rules of engagement need to be socialized among your workforce. It isn’t about media literacy, or digital literacy or even social media literacy – at the center of it all it’s about communication literacy. This is the ability to speak, understand, read and write in an authentic manner, which enables relationships to create bridges of engagement through dialog and storytelling – to make connections.
In a world that is increasingly isolated and fragmented, this is not only what a business needs but ultimately what humans need. What do you think?
