Module 1 Readings
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.
- Reduce the time they spend using media (TV, video games)
- Learn specific skills like critical thinking and use more group collaboration- socialization
- 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.
