Introduction
Hello, Readers! Have you ever stopped to think about how much media that we, as individuals, observe and absorb in our everyday lives? Have you considered the impact of utilizing media literacy skills in our engagement with entertainment and information sharing habits in society, whether as students, workers or patrons? Former professor of English at the University of Toronto, Marshall McLuhan, is known for coining the phrase “the medium is the message,” meaning that the technology in which we receive a message is just as important to influencing our opinions and perspective as the message itself. In our modern digital era, we are able to have a wide variety of information, entertainment and communications delivered to us on our devices almost within minutes, if not seconds of searching our inquiries online or texting our messages to friends on phones. With each passing year, technology continues to advance with new upgrades, the mediums in which we watch, interface and browse media broadens with each tech advancement. From newspapers and billboard advertisements, to radio broadcasts to television and film to the internet and social media, there are numerous methods of obtaining entertainment and information in the modern day, and while it is fortunate to live in a time with high-speed connections and instant results, the quick exchange of information and messages that can spread like wildfire within seconds, makes it all the more valuable to develop media literacy skills in the 21st century for younger generations. Whether or not we actively choose to engage with different forms of media, we will still observe and absorb the messaging in the media which is found throughout our society. Even if we only passively interact with modern media, modern entertainment, advertisements and their messaging still have significant influence on individuals, such as influencing our opinions and actions towards other people or groups of people different from ourselves, affecting our self-images, our biases, and can lead to the harmful spread of misinformation when media literacy skills are not developed and practiced by members of society.
Earlier this week, I studied the work of media literacy
expert and advocate Renee Hobbs, who stated that there are five competencies
that all students should know regarding media literacy:
1. Access: The first step, in which students need to
be able to effectively locate and identify relevant information to the task in
which they are engaged.
2. Analyze: That students need to be able to examine the
messages and information they receive from digital or other forms of media, reflecting
that students need to be consumers and conveyors of digital and media
messaging.
3. Create: Students need to not only consume media
but also be content creators themselves.
4. Reflect: Students need to reflect on the messaging
of digital and media they share with others, reflecting on the impact their created
or exchanged content has on the lives of other people.
5. Act: Students need to “act,” connect to the world
around themselves and collaborate with others., learning to develop integrity
and accountability for themselves, their actions and the media they create and/0r
share with other people.
Whereas each step of Hobbs’ five competencies is valuable for forming media literacy skills as a developing student, I feel the steps of “access” and “reflect” are the two must valuable of the five competencies; as its vital for youth to have access to credible, valid sources of information that should not be denied to them and their education, while its just as important to pause and reflect upon the potential impact of how we use modern technology, the influence of our words or actions through said technology from the perspective of students who are vital to learning proper media literacy for the future. I feel that these particular steps of Hobbs’s five competencies connect back to the words and philosophy of McLuhan's "The Medium is the Message," as they reflect McLuhan’s belief that the technological devices from which news and entertainment are received by individuals, the ability to access and reflect upon their impact, are key components to developing media literacy and how individuals perceive and utilize information in the modern age.
I believe that developing skills in media literacy is
incredibly important for youth, especially in our modern-day world where
factually incorrect articles, AI generated results and algorithms are just a
click of the mouse or tap of the screen away from easily misleading students and
patrons to the wrong sources in their search of valid, trusted resources and information
sources. While it is important for children and teens to be educated about
media literacy, it is a skill that people of all ages can benefit from in their
daily lives as they analyze the media and advertising messages that they take in
each day. As modern society continues to create different platforms for
entertainment, communication and learning on electronic devices, with information
and messages spreading far quicker and further than in past generations, it
becomes increasingly vital for people across age groups to develop media
literacy. The development of media literacy, especially for today’s youth, is
significantly valuable as skillsets in the 21st century and its
seemingly endless stream of media and advertisements from various angles as media
literacy encourages individuals to raise their self-awareness of the media they
consume, to differentiate between true news and what is fake or clickbait
titles, further develop their critical-thinking skills as well develop their empathyfor other people, to deepen our understanding of media’s messaging, how our own
biases are formed and to practice reducing them, recognizing how our words can
impact others and the world around ourselves on an individual level or at a larger
scale.
I like how your blog mentions that it is essential for students to both understand and influence the media they encounter. Particularly, the focus on “Access” and “Reflect” shows how thoughtful consumption and self-awareness are key to combating misinformation and fostering responsible media use in future generations. I think in our world today that combating misinformation is very important.
ReplyDeleteHi Teresa!
DeleteThank you for your response to my blog post and sharing your thoughts. I felt that when I was describing Hobbs’ five competencies that emphasizing the value of “Access” and “Reflect” as two essential steps of the process were important, as they key to students understanding and reflecting more deeply on the different forms of media and advertisements they consume each day.
Lizzie, thank you for this thoughtful and well-articulated post! As a high school educator, I see every day how critical media literacy is for helping students navigate the overwhelming amount of information they encounter online. I appreciated your breakdown of Renee Hobbs’ five competencies—especially your emphasis on “access” and “reflect.” Those two steps are so foundational in helping students not only find credible sources but also think critically about how their own media consumption and sharing can influence others. The call to build these skills across age groups is so important. Media literacy isn’t just for kids; it’s for all of us.
ReplyDeleteHi Pete!
DeleteThank you for your kind response! I’m glad that the intent of the messaging in my blog post came off well. I agree with your perspective on the issues of media literacy too, it’s incredibly important for kids, and people of all ages for that matter, to build their media literacy skills, not only to discern the differences between true and false media, but to also develop their critical and creative thinking skills as well.
Hi Lizzie,
ReplyDeleteI agree educating people on media literacy is important for all ages. It should not stop at younger school aged children but resources should continue to be provided to educate people on how to navigate the forever evolving media. I am not sure exactly how to get these resources to reach people who actually need them but the library is a great start!
Hi Anna!
DeleteThank you for your nice response! You bring up a really great point, technology and media are forever evolving as you pinpointed, that’s why it’s so important for there be accessible resources in public institutions such as the library and educational curriculums in schools. The internet will continue to evolve, and different mediums over time will start popping up and becoming mainstream sooner or later, much like print media, radio, television and the internet, media and tech we access it on will likely advance in ways many of us can’t even begin to imagine right now in present day, that’s why it’s important for people of all ages to have education on practicing media literacy. Media literacy is valuable for all people, there’s no limit to its importance in our society.
Hi Lizzy, I really appreciate your last paragraph listing so many distinct benefits of media literacy. I don't always think about critical thinking being connected with developing empathy, but it absolutely makes sense. When we can think critically enough to deconstruct some of the overly simplistic or biased messages we're receiving, we have a more nuanced view of people that keeps us from making broad assumptions about any groups.
ReplyDeleteHi Karin!
DeleteThank you very much for your kind response! I appreciate that you like my last paragraph. You give a great example of why empathy and critical thinking are important together, especially for developing young minds. Broadening both our empathy and developing our critical thinking allows us to look deeper and beyond the surface-level of messaging in media, reflecting upon how the media affects both ourselves and potentially other people.
Hi Lizzy, I agree that students need to be educated in Renne Hobbs' five competencies. I read Howard Rheingold's article, Attention, and Other 21st-Century Social Media Literacies. He also lists five social similar competencies to Hobb's. One of the more important ones in my opinion that he listed is Critical Consumption or as Ernest Hemingway called "crap detection." Students need to decipher fact from fiction. You mentioned how students are a click away from misinformation and this does stand true for any person online as you mentioned. We need to start educating students from a young age about digital citizenship. Schools need to do a better job at implementing this area of study. There is Public Act 102-0055 where every public high school student is required a unit of media literacy. My question is why wait until they are in high school. Pre-k students even younger children already know how to use devices, so why not start then. Common Sense Education does a great job starting with kindergarten.
ReplyDeleteHi Irene!
DeleteThank you for your thoughtful response! You bring up many excellent points about the importance of media literacy and teaching the skills of how vital it is to teach the skills of media literacy from a younger age for students. You're right, children as young as preschoolers and kindergarteners are given tablets, and if are, they deserve to be taught media literacy at an age-appropriate level like older kids in high school levels are beginning to be taught.