Critical Thinking and Media Literacy

The girl who dated two different men

Well, we were at a party and he asked if I wanted to dance. He looked kind of nice, so I said yes. When we were walking off the dance floor he held me tight. He asked me if I wanted to go out. The next Saturday, we went to a fancy restaurant. We ate a delicious meal and had a marvelous time. He walked me home and all the stars were shining bright. Before he left he kissed me. It was fantastic!”

I met him on a blind date. He picked me up at my place. I couldn’t believe it when I saw him. He was wearing jeans and a t-shirt and of course I was wearing a killer black dress. He didn’t say anything at all about it. He said his vehicle was outside. He had a motorbike! I couldn’t believe it. He told me that we were going to the best restaurant in the city. When we arrived I was so disappointed, but I said to myself that everything was going to be okay; however, everything got worse. He took me to a fast food restaurant. At the end of the date, he said he had left his wallet at home and he didn’t have money, so he asked if I could pay for the dinner. He asked if I could take the bus because he was almost out of gas. I was waiting for a taxi when he told he had a great time and asked me if he could call me for another date. I didn’t say yes and before I got into the taxi he tried to kiss me, and I just ran into the car. It was awful!”

Ambience: A party. He asks you to dance and you say yes. The stars are shining as he walks you home after a wonderful evening at a fancy restaurant. A kiss seals the magic.

Critical thinking:

You evaluate his character based on his actions: polite, thoughtful and considerate.

The positives: the nice date, the stars and the kiss.

The other man 

You consider possible red flags: did he really forget his wallet? Is he sincere?

Media literacy:

You've assimilated romantic tales from movies and books.

The starry night matches the idealized moments depicted in the media.

You recognize the gap between media portrayals and the complexities of real life.