‘A picture speaks a thousand words’
Globalization 2.0 has changed media from ‘information seekers’ to ‘information creators’. Visual appeasement creates, thoughts matching to expressions beyond imagination. Falsified pictures have caused panic and havoc among its viewers. Teaching our children the validity of such images is most important.
‘Capture raw emotions’ is most sort after fact in today attention-seeking world. Misjudgement and prejudice takes different turns when such scenarios are at play. Look at this part of the movie ‘National Security’. This is one such example were prejudice has played a major role.
Thanks to technology, we see lot of disturbing images in newspapers and around us. We also listen to pre-judgement released by the news channels every day, without confirming the authenticity of the clip they play. As adults our thought process rushes us to ‘react’ rather than ‘to think’. Let us analyse the same situation among our kids. They are also exposed to the same technology and media that we are, if we do not talk to them about these situations, then, they are definitely influenced by these pre-judgemental notions spreading around them.
How to overcome such issues?
- ‘Communication is the key – Listen, think and speak’. The process need development from a very young age.
- ‘Reaction time’ is a very essential factor to be developed among our children. The moment they add ‘time’ before their judgement, our brain analysis actions and gives a clear idea about the fact. It is a known that our primitive brain is the one that acts first when we see or listen to disturbing news. Taking time, helps the neo-brain to analyse the incident and then formulate reactions. Teaching our students this very fact will help them develop critical thinking towards such fake images and news that spreads around them. Let us not forget that ‘more than the actual incident, it is the rumours created and photo-shopped images that destroy societies most’.
- ‘Questioning’ brought about ‘Renaissance’. Today, it is needed for authenticity and clarity. ‘Research skills’ development happens through ‘questioning’ what they see. It is not only in assessments that ‘6W and 1H’ are useful, its applications in reality helps in identifying and segregating fake from real.
- ‘Observing’ details projected in a microscopic sense is another way to treat such information. Colour variations, time variations and pixel mismatch are some ways in which such finer details can be collected.
A 360 degree view of ‘what is happening around us’ is as important as its analysis. In this age of information, its validity has become a ‘million dollar’ question. Teaching our students the authenticity of such documents they view on the web should take priority in classrooms. Guidelines to verify and authenticate the content is to be established in prior, to assigning referral works to the students. Authentic information through ‘peer-reviewed’ articles, authentic websites and grammatically correct versions need to be encouraged for various purposes during the learning process.
Identification of false news should be given top priority in our learning process. Views and perspectives should be taken as ‘debates’ and ‘discussions’ on sensitive topics to provide students the overall idea of the topics. Classrooms are safe environments for discussions under the guidance of the teacher. It is better to clarify than to restrict students from their doubts or views. This gives them a better understanding of issues and happenings around them. ‘Open and broad minded approach’ will fetch discussions, understanding and analysis which will help them build empathy and critical thinking. We are not teaching them to learn, we are teaching them to live. Our motto should be to build a society with tolerance rather than ignorance.
