Key Concept #1: All Media Messages Are "Constructed"
"This is arguably the most important concept. The media do not simply reflect external reality. Rather, they present carefully crafted constructions that reflect many decisions and are the result of many determining factors. Media Literacy works towards deconstructing these constructions (i.e., to taking them apart to show how they are made)` -- Medialit.org
When we use an online meme or post a selfie, we often are following unstated instructions for what these images should look like and say. From the very act of our not-so-natural smiles to how - especially in the case of female media images, we pose and display ourselves for the camera, we often are contributing to the perpetuation of media images that do not reflect our lives and true selves. When creating your own media, one should be aware of how imitation of popular or approved media images might come into play, and what influences outside of one's own life and values might be shaping how you create and share original content online.