In an age where it is becoming more and more difficult to keep up with the latest technology, how do we know we can trust everything the media is feeding us? There’s no simple answer for this, but a step in the right direction is to become more media literate. W. James Potter defines media literacy as “a set of perspectives that we actively use to expose ourselves to the media to interpret the meaning of the messages we encounter” (Media Literacy pg. 22). It’s important to start the process of becoming media literate at a young age, but these ideas should be reinforced before entering the workforce. Media literacy should be especially stressed to college students so they can enter the world as informed adults.
According to MediaLiteracy.com, the media is the most powerful cultural force on the planet. College students are vulnerable to this force, because they are getting ready to enter the real world where they will have to make their own decisions about things related to the media, like which cable company to subscribe to. MediaLiteracy.com also states that “all thinking people need to take action in response to the way media messages shape our worldview and impact the democratic process.” This means that it’s important to be media literate for reasons other than to properly choose a cable company. It also refers to knowing how to utilize the media to be an informed citizen—for instance, recognizing the importance of consulting more than one source when researching candidates for an election.
So when is a person media literate, and not just a passive absorber of the media’s many messages? According to Dr. Peter DeBenedittis, who is dedicated to creating a cultural revolution around the media and has his own website for this cause, media literacy means that “people have the power to shape their culture because they have access to the information and communication venues upon which democracy depends.” Additionally, an article from the Journal of Media Literacy defines being media literate as possessing the ability to question the accuracy and authenticity of the information being presented.
According to MediaLiteracy.com, the media is the most powerful cultural force on the planet. College students are vulnerable to this force, because they are getting ready to enter the real world where they will have to make their own decisions about things related to the media, like which cable company to subscribe to. MediaLiteracy.com also states that “all thinking people need to take action in response to the way media messages shape our worldview and impact the democratic process.” This means that it’s important to be media literate for reasons other than to properly choose a cable company. It also refers to knowing how to utilize the media to be an informed citizen—for instance, recognizing the importance of consulting more than one source when researching candidates for an election.
So when is a person media literate, and not just a passive absorber of the media’s many messages? According to Dr. Peter DeBenedittis, who is dedicated to creating a cultural revolution around the media and has his own website for this cause, media literacy means that “people have the power to shape their culture because they have access to the information and communication venues upon which democracy depends.” Additionally, an article from the Journal of Media Literacy defines being media literate as possessing the ability to question the accuracy and authenticity of the information being presented.
It’s harder to break habits of passive media viewing as a college student when you’ve been doing it that way for years, but it’s not impossible. In fact, college is the perfect time to break old habits regarding the media, because “the mass media are produced by adults, for adults, [and] about adults,” according to a study on the media literacy needs of adults from American Behavioral Scientist journal. The study mentions ways to help college students become more media literate, including making students active media users, creating an understanding of how the media works, and teaching students how to criticize the media.
In Media Literacy, Potter suggests exposing ourselves to messages that are different from those we usually see, and to think about the content of messages instead of taking them for granted. Most importantly, he states, “we need to be guided by our own goals rather than let the media set our goals for us” (Media Literacy pg. 13). As college students, it is important to take steps toward becoming media literate so that future encounters with the media are not so intimidating. First by setting goals, and then by actively seeking to become informed about the media, college students can enter the real world as media literate citizens.
In Media Literacy, Potter suggests exposing ourselves to messages that are different from those we usually see, and to think about the content of messages instead of taking them for granted. Most importantly, he states, “we need to be guided by our own goals rather than let the media set our goals for us” (Media Literacy pg. 13). As college students, it is important to take steps toward becoming media literate so that future encounters with the media are not so intimidating. First by setting goals, and then by actively seeking to become informed about the media, college students can enter the real world as media literate citizens.
No comments:
Post a Comment