“Imbecilization” in the disinformation society: What can information literacy do about it?

Abstract

The article discusses some points about the current state of disinformation in information processes, especially in the media context. Globalization and its constant movement, of a socially asymmetrical and separatist nature, drives collective discrepancies and opens the way for what it has been called collective “imbecilization.” At this juncture, the wide-open phenomenon of disinformation in society results in excessive manipulation and distortion of information. Therefore, this discussion presents, through a bibliographic survey, the urgency of information literacy development – whose assumption consists of lifelong learning – aimed at the informational dysfunction present in the postmodern societies. Such development is denoted as a form of remediation and not the absolute eradication of the problem, since it is essential to preserve critical and self-critical thinking in order to reduce and control the quality of the information consumed and shared. It is then asserted that efforts to combat the so-called imbecilization and informational dysfunction need to occur in different spheres of social life, and involve the multidisciplinary fusion of technology, education, culture, economics and politics.