Critical Media Literacy among Youths - Essay Example

Critical media literacy among youths

Media literacy can be defined as the ability to be able receive, read, critically think and analyze the messages that are obtained from the media. The media could be in form of TV, newspaper, photographs, video or social media as a result of the increased use of technology and internet. There are different media contents that target audience of different age groups. Examples are cartoons which are meant for children below ten years, entertainment media that aims at targeting youths and then new and advertisement that targets adults. There are ways in which these age groups perceive the media content, how they react and the impacts the content leaves on the intended audience. This essay focuses more on interaction between the media and youths and the impacts it creates among the young people.

This is a response that is aimed at expanding the level of media literacy while deepening the possibility for education that is geared towards making youths more literate to new technologies, information, power and mass communication in general. In addition, it intends to help the youths become more aware of the media on how to critically analyze their relationships with information that is obtained from the media and the consequences it can have in their lives. There has been a gap in media literacy which is a problem in the youths in schools since most students are not presented with the option of learning media literacy because it is not available in the curriculum. This therefore leaves learners uninformed on media literacy or in some cases are taught literacy that is based on the traditional concepts which do not match with current world of multimedia (Keller & Share, 2007).

Since there has been a gap despite media growing rapidly at a fast rate globally, there is need to prepare the youths at all levels of education in their curriculum about media literacy so that they will be well prepared to consume, digest, analyze and interpret what they learn from the media. This can help to shape their life in different social, political, spiritual and economic aspects. This can be achieved through creating a platform that supports media literacy and related projects for youths (Goodman, 2003). When such programs are integrated in the schools education systems can help to equip learners the importance of media and the different uses it has. Further, the youths can be taught how to identify information that is relevant and useful to them from an earlier age and how to identify irrelevant or destructive information in the media and avoid it. They can therefore be able to effectively interact with the media in a more productive way instead of leaving them to learn on their own. Assessing of the most effective media programs that supports media literacy also needs to be done so that only the initiatives that have positive impact can be supported. It includes assessing the outcomes of the existing media literacy programs that could have been in use at any level of education to determine how good it has been in helping youth’s realization regarding media information.

Based on the assessment results, it can be easier to determine whether the program is worth to continue, modifications to be done or if the program should be entirely eliminated and replaced with another one (Goodman, 2003). In addition, it is important to create awareness among the youths from an early stage to recognize how media is vital in playing a role that can determine the democracy of a country. For a long time, media has been involved in influencing people’s thoughts and even creating a platform for discussions at home or work places that eventually determines how the citizens of that country perceives a certain topic under discussion. Further, there has been a strong connection between the media and politicians since the latter uses media as the platform to reach out voters. Similarly, media uses political figures to sell news and generate money. This has an influence on how democracy can be perceived by either political class (government) or the citizens. Youths therefore need to be taught how media influences their critical thinking and reasoning towards fighting for democracy or against it.

It is also important to support media literacy in youths through the law so that it becomes officially recognized (Mihailidis, 2009). This way, it will be able to get its specific funding directly from the government instead of relying on indirect and seasonal funding from other programs such as private sectors or NGO’s which may not do it regularly and consistently as required. Recognizing media literacy through the law and making it compulsory for youths can therefore enable the program run independently and have its own budget allocation annually that can ensure the intended purpose is fulfilled amongst youths. Besides, having it as a nationally recognized program can be advantageous because it will be considered as a right for the youths instead of having it as an option. Being a right will be more protected by the relevant government agencies to ensure that it fulfills its mandate hence becoming more beneficial and fruitful to the youths as they access media literacy (Mihailidis, 2009). When it’s a recognized program, it has other advantages such as attracting more funding from other sources like NGO’s, private companies or individuals who realize the need to promote media literacy among the youths and therefore resulting to more positive impact.

Having a generation that is media literate can improve how people perceive information that is provided through the media and therefore know what can be relevant and focus on that and be able to identity information that does not give value and reject it. Youths can become more selective in of the information they read. This can prevent youths from consuming all the information that is available which may cause inoculate their minds with negativity or manipulate their thinking which might lead to dangerous actions of violence or related negative actions. Becoming media literate has the advantage of enabling youths to be effective in their time management. Media illiteracy has been associated with poor management of time since media is addictive and the victims tend to spend most of their time in media (like TV, newspapers, videos, movies, or social media) to an extent of having very little time for the other important activities such as focusing on studies or extra curriculum activities like sports (Dobrow & Boyd, 2011). Media literacy can therefore enable youths to maintain a balance of time between their activities and interacting with media.

Media literacy will help youths to learn about life from a broad perspective rather than their positions that are normally controlled to fit school life. There are various things to be taught like the importance of gender equality and how to respect other people’s gender. How to identify and avoid wrong information associated with promoting drug abuse and alcoholism. Youths can therefore be equipped with such information prior to their exposure to the real world of alcohol consumption and drug abuse and save them from that mess rather than waiting for them to learn from the media. In addition, having proper media literacy among the youths can enable them to have a good relationship with the media houses that air information. This can be of help to avoid unnecessary campaigns formed against a media house based on the content they aired or published (Keller & Share, 2007). This relationship will facilitate smooth consumption of information that is relevant or useful to the recipient while ignoring the one that is of no value instead of forming anti-media protests.

From the study, it is therefore necessary to include media literacy in the school and college curriculum to enable youths realize the importance of the media and how they can benefit from it. Moreover, it is important to create awareness among youths on the negative consequences that that are associated with the media and above all how to coexist with mutual benefits because both have to remain. Learning the effectiveness of media when properly utilized can benefit the youths as they position themselves from an early stage of how to maximize the opportunities that media provides and how that improve their lives later as adults (Dobrow & Boyd, 2011). For those who end up in media profession can also be better positioned by applying media literacy taught as youths to influence the world in a way that will impact the audience positively.