Archive for year: 2016

Before starting this class, I thought I knew what media literacy was. In this module, I have learned that media literacy and media education is much more complex than just understanding the media. According to Jane Tallim, to be media literate means to be able to analyze and question media. So, I leaned that not only do we need to understand the message, but we need to look deeper to find hidden messages. We need to find out what the purpose is, who the audience is and what the motive is (Thoman, 1995). In the article, The Core Concepts: Fundamentals of Media Literacy Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, by Tessa Jolls and Carolyn Wilson, We can see the CML’s Questions and tips. Some of the questions they suggest are “who created the message”, “why is this message being sent”, and “what creative techniques are being used to attract my attention” (Jolls and Wilson, 2014). These questions were helped formed by Masterman’s 18 principles of media education. In my opinion asking those types of questions will really help people start to understand the purpose of media.

Teaching media literacy is important in our society today. Children, and adults, spend so much time in front of screens, playing video games, watching t.v, and on the internet and there is also things like billboards and magazines. According to the article, Why Media Literacy is So Important for Children Today, 52% of 5-8 year olds have used some type of media (Ladner, 2012). The University of Michigan Health System article, Television and Children, states that in 51% of homes, the t.v, is on most of the day (2015). I have little people in my life and I find it so sad how often they are on their phones or in front of televisions. They are so impressionable so if they aren’t able to decipher meanings of the advertisements thrown at them, they are not going to have a very clear vision of reality.  It is important that children are able to analyze meaning behind the messages they are being sent on a daily basis.

I also found the three models of media literacy interesting. The three models are very different from each other. The Protectionist model seems to be a model that is used a lot in our culture today. In the Protectionist model, it is believed that children need to be protected from media (Zaslow and Butler, 2002). According to the article, That It Was Made by People Our Age Is Better, the Protectionist theory believes that children need to be able to choose between good and bad media (Zaslow and Butler, 2002). I personally agree with the Constructivist model. This model helps children develop the skills they need to analyze media and to not be passive receivers of media (Zaslow and Butler, 2002). I do not think children need to be protected from everything. Children can learn to figure out underlying messages of media and they should be able to enjoy it. Media isn’t scary.

A constructivist model of media literacy, or education, focuses on students not only being analytical of media sources and content, but also allowing for students to enjoy media (Zaslow and Butler, 2002), This ideology best aligns with my impression on media literacy after reading through the articles and research in module one. While the constructivist model is one that I connect greatest with, I have a hard time making a distinguished decision on this matter because I appreciate a mixed-bag-approach. Orthodoxy is a way of teaching that imposes strong opinions and agendas on students (Worsnop). Having only one approach to media literacy creates an opportunity for students to miss out on information and experiences. I believe that there are positive benefits from each one of Zarlow and Butlers models of media literacy. When doing the the survey for The Seven Great Debates in Media Literacy by Renee Hobbs, I felt myself finding benefits from multiple approaches and felt tension when trying to decide on only one or the other. reading through the articles I noticed a pattern that I expected, there are so many researchers and studies on this topic that there is a world of knowledge, opinions, and view points on these models of media literacy.

Feeling closest to the copnstructivist model, I connected most with a self-reflective model of teaching that allowed for students to analyze and enjoy media (Gainer, 2007). I see the benefits of students enjoying their interactions with their favorite medias while still being curious. Media literacy facilitates and encourages citizens to challenge traditions and structures in media that create and recreate our world (Bowen, 1996).  This is so important because media is inescapable and it takes inquiry and curiosity to create understanding in the receivers of the messages that media put out. When doing the recent assignments on the Barnyard trailer and Dove advertisements I realized just how much realities are told to us by advertisers. We retell and live by stories we have been told or heard (Sadker and Sadker, 1994) so when we do not get information that challenge our view points we cannot understand the complexities of other people’s experiences. This realization is one that solidifies a lot of my communication theory and experience. Youth media literacy is crucial in this aspect because as mentioned before we can only live by the truth we have been told, so children shape their opinions and worldviews on sexist and racist media experiences as seen in the Barnyard and Dove examples. To create a more understanding and curious population media literacy is crucial because it allows for people to question, evaluate, understand, and decode media (Baron).

Media has always had a huge impact on society, but I think that the lack of media literacy in previous generations and even today is resulting in the control that media has on our lives. Furthermore, media is sexist and racist because we have allowed it to be. Media literacy can be and is a lifelong process that is investigative, uses critical thinking, but mainly needs self motivation to be successful (Masterman, 1989).  Debates on a mothers control over her child’s time in front of screens is a topic that is sexist and represents old ideals, however these debates become popular among parents (Strauss, 2016). This is a perfect example where media literacy could be used with an inquisitive approach allowing people to focus on asking questions that facilitates a productive dialogue, not one that instills guilt and anxiety in mothers. In short, media literacy’s importance is so large because of the never ending penetration media has on our lives through so many avenues and forums. Media literacy allows for meaning making and a stronger understanding of global consumer effects (Thoman, 1995).  Youth literacy is necessary because it instills curiosity at a young age and helps ensure that students can analyze and enjoy media throughout their lives.

So when I first signed up with this course, I was not expecting to be this into it. So far, I have found all of the readings, videos, and assignments/ activities to be very interesting. I am on vacation in Puerto Rico right now and usually I would put homework off till the night time after we are done with activities. Instead, I have found myself bringing my kindle with me to read the textbook (which I downloaded on there because I figured it would be easier for vacation.) on our way to each activity. Also, I keep sneaking away to the lobby to access their wifi there to stay on top of my homework.

So far I have absolutely loved the textbook “Connecting Social Problems and Popular Culture” by Karen Sternheimer. It has really opened up my eyes to a big problem we  are having with people blaming technology and different sources of media for the changes in children’s behavior. When in reality, these changes are occurring because our society and world is changing as the years go on. Everyone has a certain image they have when they think about the word “childhood”. However, there is no exact definition for childhood. There is no exact age when childhood begins and or ends. It is a constant argument people are having. Also, as the years pass by so do the things that impact children. An example Sternheimer uses is how her grandfather couldn’t go to school when he was a child, because he had to work in order to support his family. Once the economy turned around, his children were able to go to school, because it was necessary to have an education in order to succeed in the world. She says that her and her grandfathers childhoods are both very different because they had different experiences. I really found this interesting. I have always gone along with saying that technology is ruining children today. I mean my nephew is addicted to his Ipad and throws a tantrum every time we take it away. But, now that I think about it…I was probably the same way when someone took away a toy that was really popular when I was a child. Also, children’s childhoods can vary depending on what household they grow up in. If their parents are divorced, if they parents work a lot, or if there parents can hardly support their household. Children do not necessary vary because of the media they are exposed to, they vary depending on what they are exposed to.

I always categorized media literacy and media education as the same thing. I took a mass media class in highschool and they never really specified the difference. I really liked how Chris Worsnop described the definitions of both. To summarize it, he says that media education is a term used as a “a broad description of all that takes place in a media-oriented classroom” where as media literacy is “the expected outcome from work done in media education/ media study”. So pretty much, media literacy is the outcome from media education.  I also really liked the power point that really explained the principles involved with media education.   Like I said previously, the highschool I went to in Missouri, offered a mass media class as an elective. I never realized that it wasn’t offered in most schools. I learned this from the article “Jolls and Wilson”. The article says that even though media literacy is a part of the 21st century skills framework, “it is still not formally recognized in the Common Core Standards for Language Arts, nor is it typically included in teacher preparation programs”. I find this crazy! We should want the youth to be literate when it comes to media. They should know how to pick through different media and figure out the point and meaning really trying to be put across. They should be able to learn about all different forms of media. Or learn the different models shown in the power point that goes over what students must be taught to me media literate. For example, “must be taught to discriminate between high-low-quality media”, “question naturalness of media representations and identify hidden messages”, and be “active negotiators of the media with which they engage”. Like the article by “Gainer 2007” says, “we need to observe children as they engage with popular culture texts. In doing so, we are able to better understand how young people accept and resist messages of mass media…”. This shows that as adults we should recognize that media isn’t “ruining” children, instead we should recognize how it is helping them.

One more thing I also really liked in this module was the videos our professor posted regarding Hausman’s “Lies That We Live By”. I really liked these videos because I have been a victim of the “fine print” many times. I tried couponing, and when I went to CVS one time, I thought I was getting a really good deal. However, I did not read the small print that you could only use one coupon per transaction. I was very embarrassed, and ever since then I try to ALWAYS read the small print.

I am very excited to hear what all you guys found interesting during this module!

 

Out of Zaslow and Butler’s three models of media literacy, the Constructivist model aligned with my personal beliefs and opinions the most. Since media has become such a dominant factor in today’s society, it is important to not only enjoy it but to be able to be analytical users and understand the full concept of media. There are so many benefits that come along with the use of media, as explained in University of Michigan’s Health System: Television and Children. It gives many benefits of children and television such as the idea that television can truly be educational and open up new Worlds by exposing children to different cultures, ideas and ultimately allowing them to “travel the globe” simply by watching television. In Jesse Gainer’s article Social Critique and Pleasure, she explains that it is important to think critically when engaging in media such as popular music. When I was younger I would listen to certain songs but have no idea what the lyrics meant. I would just dance a long to the beat. In a way that is okay, but looking about and now listening to songs such as, Genie in a Bottle by Christina Aguilera, thinking how did my mom let her be my first concert?! Well, I asked her. She said that it did not matter because I didn’t know what the songs were implying; which is true. However, in my opinion younger generations are a lot more advanced now more than ever. My youngest brother is 15 and he is exposed to things that I learned about going into college. I think it is very important to be able to make sense out of the media and be able to have our opinions, beliefs and styles when it comes to the media. This is where I think that young children need to be able to be analytical about the media they are being exposed to, especially to be educated about what is right and what is wrong about being exposed to “too much” media. This is where a part of my beliefs parallel with Protectionists or Discrimination Models.
Although there are many positive effects of media, there are a lot of negatives. According to “Why Media Literacy” PowerPoint, on average, children will see 10,000 murders, rapes, and violence per year on television. As well as, 14,000 sexual references or acts. Backing up these statistics, University of Michigan’s article explains that kids are more exposed to information about sexuality, stereotypes, drugs and alcohol while watching television. This is why it is important for children to be media literate. If I were parent now, I would want to teach my children this on my own time, rather than them turning on the TV and being exposed to it themselves. I agree with Elissa Strauss when she says to not completely get rid of media and television but to monitor and limit the amount of consumption (The Debate Over Screen Time Is Really About Moms, Not Kids).

In my opinion, most of these readings were dense and full of information I had not the slightest clue of! I thought Masterman’s idea that “Media does not reflect reality, it re-presents it” was the overarching message seen throughout all of the texts. Fox example, in my interdisciplinary class (section: Black Lives Matter) we talked a lot about how media, mostly the news, recreates events to show an innocent black man who got shot to somehow be a perpetrator of some sort.

In the “University of Michigan” article, we learned a lot of facts about the effects of TV in young children. What really stuck out to me was the fact that even children’s shows use violence to solve problems and use stereotypes causing children at a young age to worry about things like body image or gender. One of my younger female cousins, who’s 8, was adopted from Kazakhstan by my Aunt, who is single. My cousin always says things like, “All of the kids always have a mom and a dad. Why don’t I have a dad? Why do I look different than you” (generally after watching Nickelodeon or Disney shows) which shows how powerful children shows can be as well. I would challenge children’s shows in general about their diversity in race, gender, and age. This relates a lot to “Why Media Literacy” power point, which informed us about several serious issues such as drugs, alcohol and eating disorders. I found the bulimia number to be extremely high which shows how much event he actresses and actors are effected by media. I remember years ago when Demi Lavato did an interview and she admitted the TV and fame caused her eating disorder. I remember thinking to myself, “How could Disney channel (a children’s channel) care about their actor/ess body image? Shouldn’t they show more kids who may be heavier set, who are a different race than white?” I think recently a lot of these shows do have a lot more diversity with gender and race.

I really enjoyed the idea of the “3 Models of Literacy” as well because I liked the idea of the three “stages” if you will. I think the third model or “constructivist model” seemed most appropriate because it stated, “Advocate the development of analytical skills while allowing for the experience of enjoying media” claiming that the audience is not a passive viewer but rather an active negotiator of the media they are engaging with. I think the is ideal and fair to ask of teenagers while they watch TV because it can teach them not to listen to everything they hear on TV or media in general.  I would argue that most viewers of TV might still be a little young to try this model, but I think it would be worth a try. It is very similar to Jane Tallim’s idea that you can “sift through and analyze the messages that inform and entertain us” which uses critical thinking- a major part of media literacy. If more kids can watch TV and use the media literacy, than media may not have the ability to lie or manipulate.

Elizabeth Thoman claims this idea of the “Media Diet” which was is a very serous term. Allowing children, sometimes even babies, to watch hours of TV is unhealthy for them. She says there are 3 stages of this diet.

1. Reduce the time they spend using media (TV, video games)
2. Learn specific skills like critical thinking and use more group collaboration- socialization
3. Learn whom produces/profits/ loses from the media.

I completely agree with her but I would ask, “Is this more for parents to regulate their child’s media diet? What if the parent doesn’t care?”

In Chris Worsnop’s “The Orthodoxy” he states, “The most recent manifestation of this orthodoxy is now called “the prevention approach” (2) which says media causes violence, teen pregnancy, drugs etc. I do agree to a certain level but I wouldn’t make such a claim as that. I would maybe challenge this idea and say it can cause these things but I don’t think it’s a direct result.   I related this to a meeting I once was forced to go to with my mom where a teacher of Sex Ed tried to tell us that every time you have sexual intercourse, we will become pregnant which to me seems like Worsnop (in this specific passage) is saying if you watch TV, you will commit a violent crime or do drugs.

Then I read Elissa Strauss “Debate Time”. This is my favorite one we read because it agreed with most of what she argued. One of the main things I agreed with is TV has a lot to do with class. If you’re rich and can afford a nanny who won’t plop a child in front of the TV than your child will watch less. I think “Why Media Lit is so Important” article shared a lot of ideas as Strauss’s. If children can learn media literacy, they won’t be as likely to commit violence or do drugs. After my cousin, who I previously mentioned, said the things she said, my aunt got the cable box that can switch to child mode…but as we have learned in the readings, the children’s shows still use violence and bad behavior as well. With the use of technology, as seen in “13 Best Media Literacy Resources” children growing up now are immediately drawn to media, which shows how important media literacy is. Is there a way to teach such young children media literacy?

I thought all of these articles, power points, and books were really fascinating and they all taught me something I had no idea about! I feel so enlightened now and I will be more cautious of using media literacy as I watch TV, use my laptop and cellphone etc. from now on.