How to read between the lines and use media literacy as a tool for mental health

Nearly a decade since the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) named ‘post-truth’ its word of the year, and US President Donald Trump popularised the term ‘fake news’, these phrases’ continued presence in our everyday lexicon reflects a worrying crisis of credibility in our current media-saturated society. With social media companies such as Meta and X stripping back their fact-checking policies, it’s more important than ever to view the media we consume through a critical lens.

Despite being aware that not everything we see and hear can, or should, be trusted, many of us struggle to recognise misinformation when we encounter it. According to a 2024 Ofcom report, 55% of adults online in the UK do not feel confident in judging whether or not an information source is truthful. In addition, less than half (37%) check information against reputable sources.

False and inaccurate information can have a profound impact on our health and wellbeing, from the dangers of following dubious and unsubstantiated advice, to feelings of confusion, uncertainty, and distress fuelled by the climate of distrust we now live in. As a result, media literacy has very much become a self-care necessity.

What is media literacy?

The OED defines media literacy as: “Proficiency in the evaluation, analysis, and understanding of mass media; especially the ability to analyse any story or event presented in the media and to determine its accuracy or credibility.” However, media and communications researchers propose an expanded definition, encompassing a broader understanding of the various competencies needed to be a conscious and critical digital citizen. This involves:

  • Understanding the risks of sharing personal data online, and how that data can be used by others.

  • Having an awareness of how digital environments operate, including mechanisms of algorithmic manipulation, and attention-driven models of content creation.

  • A recognition that online activities have offline and real-world consequences.

In order to assess the information we consume critically, we first need to understand the driving forces behind the meteoric rise of false and misleading information in contemporary media environments.

Understanding the attention economy

The ‘attention economy’ characterises the currency of visibility that online media platforms trade in. The time we spend scrolling, liking, sharing, and commenting generates vast amounts of data, which are harvested and transformed into predictive models that create targeted advertising, and algorithmic recommendations.

Digital content is therefore designed to capture and sustain our interest, keeping us interacting with platforms, and producing more and more monetisable data in the process. In this environment, engagement is prioritised over accuracy, promoting the pursuit of virality at the expense of factuality. By exploiting emotional triggers (such as urgency, anger, or fear), media creators produce ‘clickbait’ that manipulates us into engaging.

After this content has captured our attention once, algorithms begin to push similar material, fuelling echo chambers that reinforce the same or similar beliefs. In turn, the attention-driven model of online media restricts our opportunities to engage with alternative perspectives that help us develop a more balanced and informed point of view.

Recognising parasocial influence

Influencers are the ‘MVPs’ (most valuable players) of the attention economy, recognised as key trend-setters and opinion-leaders of the digital age due to the high levels of visibility and engagement that their content generates. True to their name, influencers play an important role in shaping public belief, opinion, and behaviour. However, despite their vast reach, many influencers lack the formal qualifications or any specialist credentials in the topics that they choose to discuss.

An extensive body of research has shown how influencers bolster their perceived credibility through playing up their relatability and authenticity. Media sociologists refer to this as the power of ‘parasocial interaction’, highlighting how influencers construct a personal connection with their followers in order to cultivate a sense of trustworthiness.

This illusion of relatability makes us more susceptible to their influence, leaving us more likely to accept and believe what they share, without actually evaluating its accuracy.

The widespread availability of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) poses new challenges for ensuring access to accurate and trustworthy information. Tools such as ChatGPT, Midjourney, and DeepSeek use sophisticated deep-learning algorithms to process vast amounts of text, which are then used to generate highly-convincing, human-like language responses to questions and prompts. However, these tools still lack the capacity to moderate the reliability of the information they produce.

Research by the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), published in December 2024, found that in 78 of 100 prompts, GenAI tools generated false and harmful information, including vaccine and climate conspiracy theories, as well as responses promoting sexism, racism, and anti-LGBTQIA+ hate. In addition, researchers found a lack of safeguarding around health-related queries, with AI-generated responses providing information and advice that encouraged disordered eating behaviours.

With its capacity to create and circulate unverified information at an unprecedented rate, GenAI now has the potential to become a super-spreader of misinformation.

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How to protect yourself in the (mis)information age

The ability to critically evaluate the information we consume represents an important tool for safeguarding our mental health. Through the following media literacy practices, we can foster a more mindful and intentional approach to our information consumption.

1. Know your sources

Always check whether information comes from a reputable source. Does the news outlet follow ethical journalistic guidelines and standards for reporting, including a commitment to fairness and accuracy? If produced by a social media user, can you verify that the account belongs to a real person? Do they have expertise on the topic, and draw on credible evidence to support their claims?

Be wary of ‘proof’ that involves personal anecdotes, outdated research articles, or links to blog posts or YouTube videos – not all evidence is equal!

2. Avoid the rumour mill

Take care to avoid reactively re-sharing emotionally provocative content. Always pause and verify whether information is truthful against other reputable sources before circulating it.

Additionally, try to confirm the time and context of any content. Misinformation can easily spread through reframing outdated and decontextualised footage to support a particular, albeit usually misleading, narrative.

3. Question the authors’ motivations

Consider what the author has to gain from sharing certain content. Are they seeking virality through engaging in clickbait tactics? Do their claims support the efficacy of a particular product or service that they promote? While not all content comes from a place of malicious intent, it can be best to take an approach of scepticism still, in order to make an informed decision about who and what to trust.

4. Report false information

Although it is not your responsibility to regulate the masses of misleading information out there – and, let’s be honest, most of us don’t have time to become digital vigilantes – if you do encounter content that you know to be false, and feel you have the time and energy to do so, use the available tools on the relevant platform it’s being circulated on to report this information. This will help make the online world safer for everyone.

5. Set boundaries and take breaks

Most importantly, remember to prioritise your wellbeing. A constant vigilance against misleading or harmful information can feel both physically and emotionally draining, so give yourself time and space to disconnect and recharge from the relentless media cycle.