Critical Thinking
This content is designed to make viewers angry, shocked or frustrated to manipulate algorithm and drive up engagement.
Rage Bait
These small, in-game/ in-app purchases for cosmetic skins, battle passes, coins or loot boxes might only cost a few dollars at a time, but they can secretly wreck a monthly budget.
What are microtransactions?
This slang term describes the act of obsessively scrolling through social media feeds to read negative or depressing news, even if it leaves you feeling anxious or sad.
What is doomscrolling?
Known for its "Golden Arches," this massive chain is officially the largest fast-food restaurant franchise in the world.
What is McDonald's?
This massive European landmark can actually grow up to 15 centimeters (6 inches) taller during the summer due to the thermal expansion of its iron structure.
What is the Eiffel Tower?
Two-worded phrase describe a one-sided relationship where a user feels a deep, personal friendship with a creator or influencer who has no idea they exist?
Parasocial Relationship
This common money trap happens when you sign up for a "free trial" of an app or streaming service but forget to cancel it before the automated monthly billing begins.
What is a subscription trap? / Auto-renewal
This is the permanent trail of photos, comments, searches, and locations you leave behind online every time you interact with an app or website.
What is a digital footprint?
This sandwich chain, known for its green-and-yellow logo, boasts the most individual restaurant locations of any fast-food chain globally.
What is Subway?
If you are standing directly on the Earth's equator, this is the name of the specific ocean that lies immediately to your west if you are looking out from the coast of South America.
What is the Pacific Ocean?
An algorithm creates this isolated online environment by constantly feeding you content that aligns with your views, shield-walling you from any opposing perspectives.
Think of shopping!
What is an Echo Chamber?/ or A Filter Bubble
This is the psychological trick influencers and brands use when they tell you a product is "selling out fast," making you feel like you have to buy it right now or be left behind.
What is FOMO? (Fear Of Missing Out / FOMO marketing)
Social media apps are designed to trigger the release of this chemical in our brain's reward center—the same chemical released when we eat good food or win a game—making the pull to check notifications incredibly strong.
What is dopamine?
This Mexican-inspired chain is famous for telling its customers to "Live Mas" and features popular items like the Crunchwrap Supreme and the Doritos Locos Tacos.
What is Taco Bell?
In chemistry, this specific subatomic particle has a negative electric charge and orbits around the dense, positively-charged nucleus of an atom.
What is an electron?
Using realistic but completely fabricated video or audio generated by AI, this technology can make people appear to say or do things they never actually did.
What is a Deepfake?
Under the popular "50/30/20" rule of thumb for budgeting, 50% of your money goes to needs, 30% goes to wants, and this exact percentage is set aside for savings.
What is 20 percent?
This strategy, used by influencers and creators, involves showing only the absolute best, most exciting, and heavily edited parts of their lives, leading viewers to make unrealistic comparisons to their own daily routines.
What is a highlight reel?
(USA Company)
To order the famous "Animal Style" burgers or fries off this popular West Coast chain's legendary "Not-So-Secret Menu," you have to know to ask for them by name at the counter.
What is In-N-Out Burger?
Launched in late 2021 as the successor to Hubble, this powerful space telescope uses infrared technology to capture stunning, high-resolution images of the universe's oldest galaxies.
What is the James Webb Space Telescope?
Rather than reading a suspicious post from top to bottom, this media literacy technique involves opening multiple new tabs to research the source, author, and claims from other outside perspectives.
What is Lateral Reading?
Often called "free money," this powerful financial concept means you earn interest on your initial savings plus the interest you've already accumulated, letting your money grow exponentially over time.
What is compound interest?
Many apps use "infinite scroll" and "autoplay" specifically because they lack these visual or physical markers that tell a user's brain it is time to stop, take a break, or move on to a different activity.
What are stopping cues?
Founded in Kentucky in 1919, this root beer-focused brand is widely credited as the very first franchise-based fast-food chain in America.
What is A&W?
Boasting the massive hit "Blinding Lights"—which became the most-streamed song in Spotify history—this Toronto-born superstar!
Who is The Weeknd?