Media Literacy Matters by Charles

Media Literacy Matters by Charles - September 2019 Scholarship Essay

In the modern world, every facet of our lives are influenced by technology and the Internet. With every advancement, our world becomes smaller and more connected, and the information the average person has access to grows. However, the benefits of technology depend entirely on who uses it, because technology is a tool like a fine pencil or a heavy hammer. Given the saturation of images and the widespread, common use of the Internet, it is important to teach in schools public and private a series of courses on media literacy.

Often we are surrounded by images from advertisements and marketing, as well as from other people over social media and sharing platforms. The images we see and internalize shape our worldviews and perceptions of other people and ourselves. It is for this reason, that a passive perception of these images is a dangerous thing. It is important for everyone, and especially children and teenagers, who are most impressionable, to be acutely aware of the images they see daily and the contexts that shape them. This is especially important in the realm of marketing and advertisement where images are designed specifically to manipulate a target demographic to buy a product.

Outside of the realm of marketing, an active involvement in examining images is important in discerning what is true and what is not - as well as for examining framing and bias with regards to news or individual reports. The single greatest lesson a photographer could teach you is that pictures lie. It is a common misconception that because a photograph captured the reality of light in a space that it then makes the picture truthful. It is true that whatever was in the photograph was factually there, assuming a non-doctored photo, but the biases of the photographer influence the way it was framed. A media literacy course would be able to successfully arm students with the tools needed to examine these biases and give greater context to their consumption of current news and events, in addition to developing their critical thinking skills.

Even further, media literacy courses can help students examine the impact of film on culture, as well as the impact of culture on film. Perhaps just as saturating as still images, movies and television are huge parts of childhood development in the modern world. Most households in first world countries have at least a television or computer, as well as access to Internet streaming platforms such as Netflix. Movies are time capsules that can capture the zeitgeist of the times - the values we place importance on, the stereotypes we create about people and places, and our views of things such as beauty, good and evil. When one passively internalizes these messages, they risk developing biases and behaviors that they are not in control of, that they have simply "grown up" with, and must eventually unlearn - but perhaps never will.

Media literacy is important now more than ever because of the sheer amount of media we consume. The messages and impacts of media saturation are especially important in childhood and teenage development, and thus it only makes sense we teach these skills in schools. When one becomes an active participant in media consumption, they learn to be in full control of their beliefs, their biases, and their perceptions. In addition, media literacy sharpens critical thinking skills which are essential to everything in life.