Tools to Evaluate Media

This blog is part of my series on “Should I Give My Child with Autism Melatonin to Sleep?” The goal of my series is to help you figure out if melatonin is right for your child.

When you start doing research on the internet or reviewing posts on social media, it’s helpful to have tools you can refer to. These tools can help you figure out if you can trust what you are reading. Here are some tools you may want to think about using. You may want to come up with your own. A good tool is simple to recall and to apply to what you are reading.

I like ESCAPE.

E = Evidence. Look for facts you can verify- names, stats, places, quotes. Ask yourself: Do the facts hold up? Is the blog several years old and no longer current? If the blog or post makes a claim about another blog or post, follow that trail. Make sure that the other blog or post relates back to that claim.

S = Source. Dig deep to figure out who wrote the blog or post- authors, publishers, funders. If a funder, does the blog’s (or post’s) message connect at all to any funding source? Who is behind the blog or post? Can you find a different blog or post about the same topic? Does it agree with the one you are reading?

C = Context. What’s the big picture? How does it fit in with current events? Are you getting the whole story? Is there another side to what is being presented in the blog or post you are reading.

A = Audience. Who is the blog or post appealing to? Look at image choices and words used.

P = Purpose. Why was this made? What is the purpose of the person who created it? Are they trying to get you to do something or believe in their cause?

E = Execution. How is the info presented? Flashy layout? Bold colors? These can appeal to a different part of your brain than the part that focuses on facts.

In looking at posts on social media, I found one about tart cherry juice helping kids sleep. I looked into it, and followed the trail to a study (“E” in Escape). I found a study in which people older than 50 years took either tart cherry juice or placebo (looks like tart cherry juice but isn’t) for two weeks, then nothing for two weeks, then either tart cherry juice (if they had taken placebo) or placebo (if they had taken tart cherry juice). Sleep studies and sleep surveys showed better sleep with the tart cherry juice. Three things concerned me about the study. First, only 8 people took part, which is a very small number to base results on. Second, the people were over 50 years old (not children!). Third, the study was supported by the Cherry Marketing Institute. It was stated that this Institute had nothing to do with the design of the trial. I found that hard to believe! The S, C, and P in ESCAPE are all relevant — the “S” source was a funder of cherries, the “C” context included that the Cherry Marketing Institute could profit, and the “P” raised concerns related to the purpose of the creator (making money).

I hope you will read more of my blogs, and learn how to decide if melatonin makes sense for your child.