Media Literacy is competency in being able to assess both direct and subliminal messages displayed in the media. We spent about 68.8% of our waking hours each day absorbing media messages both voluntarily as well as involuntarily because of the symbiotic relationships humans have acquired with our capitalist media (Vivian). When a person is literate in reading media messages, they are able to sift through the waves of information in order to find what they are looking for. They are also able to decipher the motivation of the source by reading both the lines and what is in between them. This allows a person to use the media tools put before them effectively. They would also be able to media-multitask with fluidity as well as not give in to advertising impulses (such as a juicy cheeseburger). A media literate individual would not be swayed by cultural norms - changing their personality and tastes with the wind. They would be able to confidently pursue what they are interested in, once again reiterating that they would use the media simply as a tool, not a holy bible. These individuals would have the ability to view everything with skepticism, not believing every tidbit of information they hear.
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