Clickbait: The Importance of Scientific Literacy

Fake and exaggerated news are harmful to society as “bold headlines can lead to bold assumptions”, a statement that is especially true within the science field. As a result of these exaggerations as well as a lack of science literacy in the public, there is often a lot of science mistrust and misinformation showcased on social media. This video aims to highlight the importance of scientific literacy. By taking viewers through an example of when this occurred in a news article; outlining the exaggerations, as well as simplifying the actual conclusions of the research study, viewers will recognize that just because something is published online, does not make it factual. Additionally, tips and tricks to help an individual combat misinformation, as well as suggestions on how one can improve their own scientific literacy are provided in this video.

If you would like more information on how to improve your science literacy, here are some additional resources:

• To help students overcome science misconceptions: https://www.learningscientists.org/bl…
• To help scientists in making their research more accessible: https://www.wiley.com/network/society…
• The importance of communication training in scientists: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti… https://www.vox.com/science-and-healt…

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