Memes and the Spread of Misinformation

Establishing the Importance of Media Literacy in the Era of Information Disorder

Abstract

Sulafa Zidani and Rachel E. Moran in “Memes and the Spread of Misinformation: Establishing the Importance of Media Literacy in the Era of Information Disorder” aim to equip students with the skills to tackle misinformation and participate in online conversations critically and ethically. The lesson does so through introducing core concepts in media literacy and participatory culture, such as “user-generated content,” “memes,” and “information disorder,” and facilitated student activities to examine their everyday social media consumption. Students will learn to identify the characteristics of culture and technology, connect user-generated content with the spread of dis/misinformation, and apply learned theories by remaking a meme or a different form of user-generated content to serve a different informational purpose.