Evidence Alberta

We generated a heck tonne of data from our first month in operation, so we're taking a break to sift through it. We'll be back soon, and even better!

Are there people who take advantage of our Biases? Yes! Loads of people! Companies, politicians, even everyday people all do it. But by learning about Media, we can stop them in their tracks! BRAIN POWER!!!

Why does my brain take shortcuts? It's faster! But not always better. Evolution made us great at running from tigers, but not running towards our really important homework. Ugh.

Who takes advantage of people's Biases? All sorts of people! Advertisers who want your money. Politicians who want your vote. Anybody who wants to make us think a certain way, or pay attention, or even to NOT pay attention. Sometimes, people who know about Media are more interested in influencing you with it than telling the truth. But you can stop them with YOUR media literacy! With just your brain! BRAIN WARRIORS!!!

What is "Confirmation Bias?" It's when our brain chooses to only see or think about things we agree with!

Why does my brain take shortcuts? Your brain has evolved over millions of years to solve problems in the fastest, easiest way it can. Even if it isn't the best way. If there's a tiger chasing you, you don't have time to think! You just have to RUN! That's why your brain makes shortcuts.

What is "Confirmation Bias?" It's when our brain chooses to only see things that agree with - or "Confirm" - our Biases. If someone told me: "Ice cream is poison!" I probably wouldn't believe them. I like ice cream too much! That information doesn't "Confirm" my Biases, so I'm ignoring it.

How can my Bias hurt me? Biases can be wrong. If it makes you believe something untrue, your Bias could really hurt you. You might be biased against vegetables, but if you don't eat them, you won't stay healthy!

How can my Bias hurt people? Biases can be too general, or just plain wrong. If you believe your Biases, you're not always believing something that's true. Sometimes, it's just your brain taking a shortcut.

How can my Biases hurt me? Bias is natural, and everyone has it. But it can make us believe things that aren't true. It can make us believe that something good is bad, or that something bad is good. What if I was so biased against vegetables, I started to think they were poison? Time to "Check my Bias" and ask my doctor… ugh, they said I need those vitamins! Ooookaay.

What is "Checking your Bias?" It's when you ask: Did a bias make me do that? Checking your Bias is a good thing to do every now and then. It helps you know what you're doing intentionally, and what was just a habit.

How can my Biases hurt people? Bias is natural, and everyone has it. But it can make us believe things that aren't true. If your bias is about a whole group of people, that can hurt them. If you see images of people wearing hats and stealing things, you might start to think that all hat-wearers steal. But that's not true. If you act on it, you might hurt someone just for wearing a hat.

What is "Checking your Bias?" It's when you look at your thinking and ask: "Did a Bias make me think that way?" It's a good thing to do! Did my pro-ice cream bias make me eat until I was sick? Time to "Check my Bias!" Hmmm… yep. It did.

Where do Biases come from? They're just habits! I'm biased in favor of ice cream - I ALWAYS want to eat it. I sort of wish I was eating it right now.

What is the "Law of Closure?"The Law of Closure is when your brain "closes off" a bunch of unconnected parts to make a pattern, or a picture. Just like a connect-the-dots!

Where does Bias come from? Biases develop when our brain forms a habit. If you're going through a door, you might grab the handle before you even think of it.That's a habit, and a bias! (Remember the "Law of Closure?") Biases are just habits our brains develop. Like how sometimes, I put ice cream in my mouth without even thinking about it. That's my bias - that Ice Cream's delicious!

Does having a Bias make me a bad person? NO! You're a good person, no matter what. But if you don't watch your biases, they might make you do bad things.

What's the "Law of Closure?" It's the way our brain makes random stuff into patterns. See eyes in the forest? No worries. See a tail? It's cool. See stripes and teeth? YIKES! That's a TIGER! You just used the "Law of Closure!" Life is like a connect-the-dots picture. Once you have enough info, your brain will "close off" the empty spaced to make a picture. Suddenly, there's a picture and we know what we're seeing.

Does having a Bias make me a bad person? Of course not! But if we don't pay attention to our Biases, they can make us do things that hurt other people. People with Biases aren't bad, because we all have Bias!

Is Bias always bad? Not always! Biases are just habits, and some habits are good for us. But some habits can be really bad. Like putting your chewed gum under your desk. That's just gross, dude.

Can we be biased without knowing it? YES! Bias is hard to see, even when you're right in the middle of it. It comes from our way of seeing the world, and who we are. Some people don't like chocolate - that doesn't make it gross for everybody!

Is Bias bad? No! Biases are just habits in our ways of thinking. Without habits, we would have to think through everything! Opening a door, how to read, how to chew gum… habits help us survive! Bias isn't always bad, but we should try to be aware of it.

What is Bias? Bias is the way our perspective can change how we see things. Bias is the way our personal perspectives can change the information we communicate. It can be little things, like the dogs we prefer, or big things, like our political beliefs.

Can we be biased without knowing it? Bias is almost NEVER something we notice, at least at first. It comes from our way of seeing the world, and who we are. If you were raised in a place where nobody ate chocolate, you'd probably think it was weird. But lots of people eat it and love it! That's just your way of seeing things - your BIAS.

What is Bias? Bias is the way our perspectives can change the way we see the world. Do you like Corgis? Me too! On a list of "Best Dogs", I'd probably rate Corgis #1! But really, all dogs are good dogs. I'm just a little BIASED.

What should you ask yourself when assessing media? (Try to remember BARR.) Is it Biased, Accurate, Relevant and Reliable? That's the BARR! Is it BIASED? Is it ACCURATE? Is it RELEVANT? Is it RELIABLE? When we're talking media, it's the Olympics every day, baby!

What is Media Literacy? It's a set of skills! We use them to know What's being said, Why it's being said, and Who is saying it.

How can I quickly understand media? When experiencing a piece of media, remember BARR! Ask yourself: Is it BIASED? Is it ACCURATE? Is it RELEVANT? Is it RELIABLE? Imagine media like pole jumpers: do they make it over the BARR? Woah! Media Olympics!

Is the Goodyear blimp media? YES! As long as something tells you something (like "Buy Tires!"), then that's media, baby!

What is Media Literacy? Media Literacy is the skills we use to understand media - WHAT it's saying, WHY it's being said, and HOW it's being said. What? Why?? Who??? You need to ask all those "W" questions if you want to understand media.