Critical Thinking and Media Literacy

This entry is based on the interactive reading and grammar material from the Zajuna platform. It explores how we develop critical thinking through media literacy and how language—like tag questions—helps us understand and question the messages we receive from the media.

**Media literacy** is the ability to analyze and evaluate the messages communicated through mass media. Media includes television, music, advertisements, the internet, news, video games, and even social media. All media contains a message, and sometimes that message is not as neutral or honest as it appears to be.

With **critical thinking**, we look beyond the surface and ask questions like:

- Who created this message and why?

- What values or ideologies are being promoted?

- Is the content real, or is it being edited or manipulated?

Media literacy teaches us to double-check what we see or hear. For example, in advertisements, we might miss hidden messages that promote stereotypes or unrealistic beauty standards. Emotional appeal, generalizations, and celebrity endorsement are strategies used to persuade us without realizing it.

**Tag questions** also play a role in how we express opinions about media. For example:

- “The ad is a bit shallow, isn’t it?”

- “It only focuses on appearance, doesn’t it?”

Tag questions help confirm or challenge what is being said, and invite the listener to agree or reflect.

The content from Zajuna shows how important it is to question what we consume in the media, whether it's an ad, a news report, or a social media post. We need to think critically, analyze what is shown or omitted, and decide for ourselves what to believe.

In conclusion, critical thinking and media literacy help us become smarter and more conscious media consumers. They allow us to identify manipulation, understand deeper meanings, and form independent opinions.