12 - Numeracy

 Numeracy

According to Merriam-Webster, numeracy refers to the ability to understand and work with numbers. Numbers are involved in many aspects of mass media, most notably as statistical data. Having a comprehension of numbers is incredibly important in navigating the digital landscape and the plethora of information that it comes with. 

Statistics are a huge part of the content that we consume on a daily basis. Whether it be polls, economic reports, or crime rates, statistics allow us to analyze data more easily through numeracy. For example, election polls provide insight to voters and allow election forecasters to analyze trends and demographics. Economic reports allow us to examine the country's economic health. Crime rates enable us to stay informed on public safety. All of these observations allow the public to stay well-versed in what's going on around us by studying numbers. 

An example of crime rate statistics from Statista. 

Almost 30% of adults in the U.S. have low numeracy skills, as per the National Center for Education Statistics. Numeracy is what allows us to interpret the vast amounts of data that we receive in the media, which is why we must focus on increasing our country's numeracy skills. People should be able to interpret numbers and relate them to whatever is being referenced. 

It is also important that we understand the dangers of misinformation that involves numeracy. We must be able to discern whether a source is reputable or not and whether the data being shown is misrepresented. A comprehensive knowledge of numeracy is key to being able to identify these issues.