Online Articles

I found it interesting that these articles seemed to be focused on how negatively media can affect children and teens. These articles make me support media literacy even more especially for elementary and secondary school youth.

The Core Concepts: Fundamentals to Media Literacy:

The age of new technology is not where it began, the importance of media literacy in this article went back to t he 1930’s were Jean Pierre Golay experienced the Nazi Propaganda in Switzerland. When becoming a teacher twenty years later Golay applied the importance “to look around, listen, question, discuss and take time to think.” Media education for her was nothing if it was not an education for life. I believe that what goes on around us plays a huge role on who we are and who we then become. Having the fundamentals of media literacy can help us understand our surroundings by listening better and questioning the unknown.

Children as Consumers:

Advertising to children goes beyond what anyone can see.  The advertising for children on television is not limited to  junk foods and toys. Advertisements also affects adults by influencing them to purchase the newest Minivan and the SUV for children to have more space while in the car. As seen on television the perfect family owns a large car with space to fit children and their toys, this may be the reason why the Minivan is usually the ideal family  car. It’s  incredible to see how advertisements can affect the purchasing power for parents. For example, candy and sweets are put on stands in stores at eye level of children. I was not aware of how much thought is put into these advertisements, the color of the packaging for candy? I wasn’t surprised.

University of Michigan Health System Your Child:

    Its a shame to know that children’s television programs play a huge role on their view about human beings. Children are spending too much time watching T.V, they are learning to accept stereotypes. They learn from the programs they watch  on T.V,  the roles males and females have in society and how the African American teen is usually the perpetrator of the crime.  Why are we allowing this is happen? I believe media literacy can help promote a better understanding for the different roles many can play in society and how stereotypes are simply a stereotype especially for the youth with developing minds.