What is media literacy?

To understand media literacy, let’s break down the word. Media is a communication tool to store and share information. This can include new paper, photography, advertising, audio, video, and so much more (Trilling, B & Fadel, C, What Is Media Literacy). And literacy is the ability to read and write. Put together, media literacy is the ability to “identify different media types and messages they are sending” (What Is Media Literacy). In today’s time, we are getting information beyond our classroom and peers; we receiving through memes, viral videos, social media, video games and many more. The content that we are absorbing was created for a reason and it is our job as the consumer to have “constant critical questions of all the media” to ensure accuracy. (Smith Julie,What Is Media Literacy)

Why is it important?

Media literacy is extremely important as you can find information resources online to back anything up (Smith Julie). For example, you can find information from NASA of the earth being round pictures from space etc and even with this data you can find sources to support that the earth is flat. You as the user need to be able to assess where the resources are coming from and what sources are there to back it up to ensure it is factual or not. We are constantly being overloaded with information that it sometimes hard to figure out what is “meaningful or true” (Smith Julie).
. As Ernest Boyer said “It is no longer enough simply to read and write. Students must also become literate in the understanding of visual images. Our children must learn how to spot a stereotype, isolate a social cliché, and distinguish facts from propaganda, analysis from banter, and important news from coverage” (Trilling, B & Fadel, C).

Why is it dismissed?

I do no think media literacy is dismissed. I think that there is so much information coming from all ends of the conversation that it is hard to figure out the truth. As said before, you can find sources to back up anything that it becomes hard to say what is a fact or not. I think it is a learning opportunity that needs to be taught to students to be aware of the information and learn how to decipher what is the truth or not.

Why should you aim for varied views but the factual consensus in your PLN?

You can post anything on social media, factual or not. You can make an opinion and state it as a fact, and many people will not search for other sources to back it up. As we are in a time where we are getting new information every 60 seconds, and that overloaded many people don’t go into more depth of what they see. That why it is important to connect with people who want to share factual information, have studied what they are sharing, or have sources to back it up. More importantly, to expand your own knowledge, you need to surround yourself with different-minded people who have different perspectives on life, regardless of educational levels, ethnicity, religions, sexuality, age, culture, where they live, different careers, etc. By surrounding, yourself with diversity and which all of them understand the importance of media literacy will ensure that you are gaining useful and meaningful knowledge.


Open dialogues about media literacy and factual information can create conflict, why does this happen?

Any dialogue can make conflict if you disagree with the person you are in conversation with or are connected with beliefs and says. Even if it is factual, for example, n my Instagram is filled with information about women’s safety. What steps women need to do every day to ensure they are safe. saw a video of this girl saying how she would get home. It went like I will walk home then showed a newspaper article about a crime that happened against women, then she said, fine’ll grab a taxi and again a crime that happened to women that took a taxi so own. In the comments, many women and men were outraged, thinking she was saying that all men are like this, women are not safe in actuality she was telling the hard truth of being a woman and the fear many live in just to get home. This information factual as she had new paper evidence causes conflict in her comments where people started arguing their side. Seeing content that goes against what you believe or that you think offends you as a person although factual can cause conflict and start an argument


What is the benefit of having a PLN that values media literacy?

You can connect with other like-minded people and support each other through difficulties. As they understand what you are going through. As Julie smith explains, you can communicate in more than one way; you get a different perspective and objective voices that provide guidance when you cannot think clearly. Furthermore, you are able. To control who is in your PLN, you can disconnect and block to make your PLN a community that values media literacy and searches for the truth, which directly creates stronger connections. Also, the biggest benefit of ensuring your PLN and all the content you are seeing. Is from a factual person ensures that you do not need to do further research and trust the person on the other side.


Reference

Smith Julie. “EDCI 338 A01- SMITH, JULIE” YouTube, uploaded by Miller, Nov 2, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_T9RghwJlI

Trilling, B & Fadel, C (2012). Digital Literacy Skills . Media Literacy Chapter 4 pp.66. https://learning-oreilly-com.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/library/view/21st-century-skills/9780470475386/fade_9780470475386_oeb_c04_r1.html

“What Is Media Literacy, and Why Is It Important?” Common Sense Media: Ratings, Reviews, and Advice, www.commonsensemedia.org/news-and-media-literacy/what-is-media-literacy-and-why-is-it-important.