The need and limitations of media literacy and critical opinion in the age of supervisory capitalism

Abstract

The paper discusses the issue of modern society that functions mainly through new technologies. It points out the misconception that the Internet has provided safe and unlimited access to the world of knowledge and information and new modalities of creative expression. Time has shown that the use of modern technologies has led to the creation of new business models that are defined as surveillance capitalism, the emergence of which indicates the negative aspects of social media. Surveillance capitalism involves overseeing and compromising the privacy of the individual through the trade of personal data. The answer to this phenomenon is the potential role of critical thinking and media literacy. Critical thinking and media literacy are viewed in the context of national strategies and the individual aspect, while identifying existing potentials and constraints. Keywords: surveillance capitalism, media literacy, media education, critical thinking.