Why is it important to “pull back the curtain” (your words) and reveal how the media works?

Most young people today don’t have the critical thinking/viewing skills to understand how media works to inform, influence, persuade, entertain. They don’t know how and why to question media messages. Most schools in the US don’t teach media literacy so I want to help teachers (and students) understand the important and relevant role media education should play in a 21st century world.

What trends are you seeing in young peoples media consumption that is exciting and scaring you?

Young people are the targets of new media and many are media savvy. Too much time with media screens is unhealthy and at times dangerous. Many lack the understanding that media might also remove them from more important things, like family, or the environment.

Does media literacy have to be taught or is it something that can be understood from experiences, through peers or in isolation?

Media literacy CAN and SHOULD be taught, but young people can learn it not only through their experiences but also by way of a trained media educator. Media production, a major part of media literacy, can be accomplished in isolation or with peers.

Many young people are actively creating and sharing their own media - what opportunities does this present in education across the board?

The education system in the US does not fully appreciate media literacy and thus teachers aren’t trained and students don’t learn it. While many students may learn media in schools (for example, video production) what they learn is how to make videos, which is not media education.

Teachers must demand training and must be comfortable integrating media literacy in the classroom. Textbooks need to become more relevant. School libraries must have more resources.

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