In reading the information contained in Module 2: The Information Environment I have had images of and feelings evoked by watching movies such as ‘I, Robot’ (Proyas, Alex. 2004) coming to my memory. Artificial Intelligence (AI) takes over the world and tries to do away with the human connections which created the AI in the first place. The information which was gathered by the AI in the first place is then censored and used against the humans as it was deemed better for them.
Of course, reality is that this dystopian society is not occurring at this time (phew!), however the imagery which it created does highlight to me the use and spread of information which we use today in our technology-based world. Within our global society there are aspects where the technology drives the agenda. The algorithms created by search engines which are designed to give you what you want based on your prior search history create bias in the information which is presented to each individual. Certainly, the flip side of this statement is also true where you could view the AI as not helping construct dystopia, but a society which has exponential opportunities for great growth and development. However, knowledge that the bias can exist is required to be able to see the truth in the information available.
In my growing understanding the term ‘information society’ relates to a society which economic and cultural activity is created mostly through information creation, distribution and manipulation (Rouse, M. 2005). The reality of what can be seen in the manipulative search engines, the explosion of advertising directed to individuals showcases the fact that we appear to be living within an information society.
As well as the bias created in searches, the filtering eye of truth, or what we perceive truth to be, comes into play with our interaction with information. The amount of misinformation and advertising which is portrayed online as fact is tiresome at least, and it can be an overwhelming task to wade through, and this is coming from the perspective of an adult. How much more challenging is it for children in their various stages of brain development to work out the authentic information which is needed in their interactions? This is where the role of a Teacher Librarian becomes so important in teaching the skills necessary for discernment and critical thinking in responding to the information which is out there.
A Teacher Librarian’s role in sharing their knowledge of the misinformation as well as ways to think critically cannot be underestimated.
References:
Proyas, Alex (Director). (2004). I, Robot [Film]. Twentieth Century Fox.
Rouse, M. (2005). Information Society. WhatIs.com. https://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/Information-Society