Media literacy from the perspective of a Libertarian Paternalism

The idea that emotions and irrational elements plague the correct flow of human thought and decision-making originated in ancient Greece even into the Enlightenment. But today the idea of a fusion of rational processes and irrational processes (emotional and tendency) has replaced it. Today we are not talking about purifying the flow of thought from irrational elements, but about identifying these irrational elements and using them to manage the flow of thought. The idea of a "libertarian paternalism" follows the architecture of people's choice, without limiting their options. In this article, we sought to answer the question, "How can the media control the audience's decision-making process by utilizing the unconscious components of thinking?". To this end, we have introduced some of the irrational elements and biases of the mind, based on empirical studies, and then we have pointed out how they are exploited by the media. The purpose of this article is to introduce a field of media literacy that deals with media tricks in the architecture of people's choice; Tricks that do not deprive people of a sense of freedom while guiding their choices. The media uses the bias of the individual mind, such as the effect of anchorage, the tendency to cognitive consistence, the desirably seeing, and the pressure of social norms to manage their choices. They lead the audience to their intended behavior and thinking through imagery, good construe, the use of children to pressure parents, and other tricks.