Reading Understanding
In the assigned readings for the week they really went into detail about explaining what media literacy is and when and where we see it. We learn that media literacy is the way that we access, understand and create media in all the different media outlets. When reading What is Media Literacy, The 3 Stages of Media Literacy, Elizabeth Thoman explains media literacy by breaking it down into three different stages. The first stage tells us how it is important to make sure that we are not spending all of our time focused on media outlets. The second stage shows that we must learn a set of skills to figure out how to critically view what you are watching. Lastly, the third stage explains how it is important to go behind the media and figure out who this form of media is supporting and why it is being produced. Media literacy is the information learned through different forms of the media.
When we think about why we should worry about media literacy so much we should understand that most of what people see today is a form of media in some way. In the Why Media Literacy power point it shows just how greatly the television has impacted young peoples lives. With them doubling the amount of hours watching television as they spend in the classroom. This shows that the media is a huge part of these children’s lives and it needs to be monitored and understood in order for us to realize how it is effecting these children. They see so much violence and sexual references through the media that it seems to become a second nature for them, showing them that these things are o.k. which they are not.
The media also does not adequately represent those with hardships in their lives which then brings them in real life to be outcasts and unwanted. They also show that minorities are the majority of things such as poverty or crime rates which is also not true but they make it seem like that by only showing you what they want you to see. This is a huge problem in the media today which is why I believe it is important for us to have media literacy. If we have people to break away from the actual media itself and find the hidden meanings behind the things that we are shown, it would be best for everyone. For the future ahead it is important for us to see what our youth are paying most of their attention too.
