TBH I think the explosion in video essays has partly led to some of the lack of media literacy. I enjoy them but I also know to look stuff up independently to confirm if it's true or not. People don't always go back an read corrective comments either.
I enjoy video essays for perspectives, not so much as an original source of a topic. It does bewilder me how many people prefer video as an informational format over a text document or manual. Give me a written guide over a video any day of the week
I think there's value to presenting information to people in a way that's accessible to them, but the problem is THAT'S WHERE IT STOPS. Gen Z in particular seems to be really struggling with this. I was the last graduating class year in California that didn't have to take the exit exam and I noticed
that those who did seemed overall less capable of independent thought because they'd spent the entire time in school practicing for a test and not actually learning anything about how to think critically—which my grad class was taught. It's unfair to them but I also think it directly contributed to
current political polarization globally and people struggling to even listen to each other let alone find common ground. Kinda hard to find the middle when you've only ever been taught half info and don't know how to verify what you've been told.
For sure, and the grown up world is rather hostile by design right now: erosion of communities in middle America leading to isolation which breeds contempt and next thing you know, Jesse Watters doesn’t sound so crazy, I guess
Look, if I can't make a career out of watching a documentary or skimming a book and then regurgitating that information uncritically into a camera and releasing the results onto youtube, what exactly do you expect me to do for a living? Honest labour?!
Comments
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhkDGsT6MhY
hurt mi feelings you meanie