War Against 'Fake News': Emotional Intelligence And Media Literacy

Sometimes the author or creator of a piece of media intends to appeal to the emotions of the people consuming the media. As you may know from watching, emotion can be a big part of both commercial advertising and political messaging.

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If you pay attention to ads from car-makers, cosmetic companies or beverage brands, you’ll notice that they are often selling a lifestyle along with their products. The way they use imaging, music and the types of people they feature in their ads impact the way we emotionally react to the ad.

The same can be true with political messaging, which seeks to play on people’s emotions – both their hopes and their fears – and sometimes makes vague promises without being specific as to exactly how the candidate will affect that change.

Sometimes feelings of inadequacy or even self-loathing can be triggered by looking at magazine covers and billboards, watching unrealistic lifestyles portrayed on TV and in movies, or wishing that you were as attractive or your life was as great as others appear to be on social media.

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When people who are already a little insecure compare their own lives to idealized versions, it can exacerbate those insecurities. As both children and adults, it is OK to feel these emotions as long as we recognize the media that triggered them and do not let them control us. Parents will likely experience mediatriggered emotions right in front of their children, while teachers must be careful not to allow media-triggered emotions to bleed into their classroom practice. In either role, it is worthwhile to share with children how you move past those emotions and start thinking rationally.

Practical Tips

• Teach children to recognize their emotions from a young age. It’s never too late to start either. Adolescents and teens sometimes need help with emotion recognition as well. Then, when media triggers emotions, they will be better equipped to recognize which information caused them to feel that way.

• While watching TV or browsing online with your child, point out ads that are appealing to emotion and discuss them openly.

• Once the emotion has been managed, engage children to think logically about how they can take action that is positive in response to that information.

References

• Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence http://ei.yale.edu
• Collaborative for Academic, Social,and Emotional Learning(CASEL) http://www.casel.org

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