Media Literacy

Media Literacy

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In this day in age, we are all very digitally dependent. Our phones are attached to our hips and we use them for a multitude of purposes. With that being said, this allows us to have access to so much information that is being posted and shared on the internet and through social media rapidly throughout the day. 

The way information has been shared has not always been the same. As time has gone on, it has evolved from print, to radio, to television, and now the internet and social media. Just in the last 20 years, the media has come a long way! However, the purpose of the media has not changed over time. It's job has always been to inform, persuade, or instruct us. It is important that we all, including our students, understand the media and the various messages it can portray to us when we are exposed to it.  Being media literate is becoming increasingly important for all individuals especially with how much information is now shared at our fingertips. I found that this infographic does a great job of explaining what media literacy is, its importance, and the benefits of it.  

When I think about my students, they have never grown up in a time without access to the internet or social media. Many of my 8th graders have had cell phones from very young ages. They have been immersed in the media and it has a large influence on their lives and still will for years to come. For them, I feel like Howard Rheingold's 5 social media literacies are important for them to know and are still relevant today. The 5 media literacies he focuses on are: attention, participation, collaboration, network awareness, and critical consumption. 

Image Source: jaycrook.com

Attention:

• Students are able to pay attention to the task at hand but also be mindful of what is going on around them.

Participation:

• Students are actively engaged and are conducting themselves in a productive manner.

Collaboration:

• Students are able to work together with others both near and far.

Network Awareness:

• Students are making choices about the networks they are joining and the information that they are sharing within these social networks. 

Critical Consumption:

• Students are able to weed out what is fact and fiction on the internet. They can identify trustworthy authors and sources and add them to their personal networks. 

I believe that as my students get older, this will resonate with them more. I think that they are still too young to value these five areas. I am excited to hear that when they get to high school, they will get a unit on media literacy. It is important to educate our students on this topic because it is going to be something that impacts them throughout the rest of their lives. Even now, I see some adults who struggle with media literacy. Especially with critical consumption on social media platforms. Teaching our students how to be media literate can potentially help to alleviate problems like this in the future.