Five tips for being a media literate creator

It's truly incredible the power that technology can give us to use our creativity and to share it with the world. But, as everyone knows, power comes with responsibility. It's vital that we learn to create media ethically and responsibly. Creating media is so easy that we often forget to think about the impact of the media that we create and share with the world.

1. Think about what the content that you create says about you. Whether you're sharing a picture of you and your best friend, a painting that you just finished or an article about a social issue that you really care about, what you share tells people about who you are and what you believe. Make sure that the content you create reflects the person that you want to be.
2. Think about the impact that your content will have on others. Everything you create and share affects the information landscape and the people who are navigating it. Your content might inspire or entertain others. Your content could also offend or upset people. Reflecting before you share on the impact that you might have – and assessing how you might handle negative consequences – is important.
3. Be transparent. What is your agenda for creating and sharing content? Did you get paid for it? Did a friend ask you to share? Being open and honest about why you are sharing content is important for your followers, especially if you have a lot of them and are starting to earn money.
4. Don't let the number of likes affect you too much. We've all been there. You work on getting a photo just right and you are proud to share it. Then you wait to get a positive response and it's underwhelming. Try to make the process of creating and sharing the point, not the response! It's super hard to control how many people will see and like your content, but you can control how you feel about it!
5. Understand fair use and copyright. There are rules about what you can share and how you can reuse other people's content. Did you know that you can be fined for the use of some copyrighted material if you use it without the copyright holder's permission? If you are an active content creator, make sure that you become familiar with the rules around fair use and copyright.