Week/Module 1 Readings
When I first started this class a few days ago, I had absolutely no clue what media literacy was and, therefore, why it is important; but within a few days, it is safe to say I have already learned some new ideas! As defined by Jane Tallim in her exert What is Media Literacy?, “media literacy is the ability to sift through and analyze the messages that inform, entertain and sell to us every day. It’s the ability to bring critical thinking skills to bear on all media”. Media literacy covers any and all forms of mass media from music videos and online social media to commercials and billboards; and with the media literally everywhere we look in our culture and generation, it is no wonder why the importance of media literacy requires an upper division course of its own! Jennifer Ladner, co-founder of Screen Savvy Kids, described how media literacy allows children and families to become more aware of both intended and unintended media messages. Through media literacy, children learn to create and think critically about these media messages and these skills allow them to take control of the media that surrounds their everyday lives instead of letting it control them (Ladner).
As an Early Childhood Studies major, I have always been concerned about the impact the media has on our youth. There are so many messages being sent both directly and subtly from our numerous media sources that our culture is becoming confused as to what is realistic and what is expected of us on a daily basis. I was shocked to discover in Ladner’s article Why Media Literacy is so Important for Children Today that the American Academy of Pediatrics has noted that children spend more time with various media than they do in any other daily activity other than sleeping, an average of 7 hours per day, to be exact; and among the many health concerns, various studies suggest a strong relationship between high exposure to violence in the media and aggressive behavior. The American Academy of Pediatrics has also found a strong correlation between heavy television viewing and obesity, substance use, and increased sexual activity at younger ages. Additionally, studies have shown that children with a television in their bedroom are 31 percent more likely to smoke and many children have a television in their bedroom by the age of three. (Ladner)
With all the children I have worked with over the years, and there have been many due to all the student teaching I’ve had to complete, I have noticed that the saying “Monkey see, monkey do” is beyond accurate with the younger generations. Even as a child myself, I saw certain people on popular shows like MTV’s TRL that I wanted to be exactly like. I wanted to dress like them, I wanted to talk like them, I wanted to be these people that were so popular and famous… so I did. If it wasn’t for my fascination with Blink 182 and other punk/rock musicians, there’s a chance I could have been a pretty girly-girl; but instead I felt the need to own nothing but black band shirts, dark jeans and Converse or Vans shoes. Now, I’m 25 years old, and even if I buy a green or pink shirt that I like, I will probably only wear it once and then allow my closet’s dust bunnies to create a forever-home. Why? Because once upon a time in elementary school, I was given a personal “message” about what it took to be cool; but, hey, it brought me to who I am today!
There are so many ways to view and therefore teach media literacy, and in our technologically advanced culture, mass media and advertising messages are literally everywhere. After reading Zaslow and Butler’s 3 Models of Media Literacy, the model that appealed to me the most was the Ideological Analysis Model, where youth are taught to question the naturalness of media representations and to identify hidden messages in the media. Analysis in this model focuses on how media support and reproduce dominant ideologies about difference and culture (Zaslow & Butler, 2002). This model sticks out to me the most because rather than shelter or hide or children from the media surrounding their worlds, we need to accept what’s taking place and talk to them about what they are seeing or hearing. On the other hand, we don’t want to over expose the children without any discussions whatsoever because that could allow the wrong messages to enter into our youth’s minds for the worst. By teaching children to question what is going on around them, they can then question what can be done as a result. I have always loved working with children because they ultimately are the future of not only our country, but our entire world; so if we want to see any positive changes, we need to educate the people that will be making the decisions during those times: our children and youth.
The importance of media literacy has finally made sense to me, thanks to our first model. Now I feel like I can actually understand what this class is all about and why we are taking the time to understand the value of media literacy and its impact on our culture and youth!
