Defining Media Literacy

Posted by admin On 5 May 2010 No Commented

Before the onset of new media and citizen journalism, we (adults, teens and children) consumed media in the same context of one to many with limited opportunity, if any, to interact with the message.

Today things are different. Now media – both social and traditional, is interactive. Its context spans across one to many, many to many, many to one and one to one. We consume media and we create it. We can support messages, virally spread them, or speak out against them. The playing field is very different.

How does this effect media literacy? When I was young, this included parents explaining that gory scenes on TV are not real, but rather “just a movie” or advising vulnerable teens on the magic of airbrushing so as not to give them all physical complexes. But today, the landscape has changed. Kids create media in addition to consuming it. They are far savvier about airbrushing and other media manipulations than kids 30 years ago. But media extends much further than our TV’s these days, and rarely are younger people consuming media with an adult who is monitoring the appropriateness of the messages they are receiving.

Henry Jenkins, (2006) has defined the new role of media literacy within the context of a participatory culture which

“shifts the focus of literacy from one of individual expression to community involvement. The new literacies almost all involve social skills developed through collaboration and networking. These skills build on the foundation of traditiona l literacy, research skills, technical skills, and critical analysis skills taught in the classroom.” (p. 4)

The role of education in creating this participatory culture, as I see it, is more about building consciousness rather than literacy, as often the student is savvier about the medium (not necessarily the content) then the teacher. Educating students to be conscious of the impacts of social media will go much further in developing critical thought about how young people will shape their own digital selves, and interact with others.

In her article Social Network Sites: Public, Private or What? Danah Boyd (2006) suggests educators focus on defining “mediated publics” and develop awareness around how the content people create is persistent, searchable, replicable and invisible (uncontrollable) (Pg 2 &3). Awareness and consciousness about these crucial elements will protect young citizen journalists and digital creatives who still lack the mature perspective of consequence.

Social media can and should play a critical role in reinforcing these messages to students. Using case studies of young (perhaps fictitious) individuals who have irreparably damaged their own or other’s reputation and cyber bullying can encourage kids to think responsibility about the content they create, replicate or share with others in their peer group and beyond.