Reading literacy and media literacy share a lot of similarities. Reading begins with letter recognition. Readers will soon be able to recognize words and, more importantly, grasp what they mean. Readers become authors as a result.
The ability to recognize different types of media and comprehend the messages they carry is known as media literacy. Kids acquire a tremendous amount of information from a variety of sources, considerably beyond the traditional media of most parents’ youth (TV, radio, newspapers, and magazines). It had been made for a specific reason. Understanding why is the foundation of media literacy.
Anyone can now create media thanks to the digital era. We don’t always know who made something, why they made it, or if it’s trustworthy. This makes communicating and teaching media literacy difficult. Nonetheless, in the digital age, media literacy is a crucial skill.
It specifically benefits children:
- Develop critical thinking skills. When children examine media, they determine whether the messages are consistent, why particular material was included, what was left out, and what the main themes are. Then they will conjure up their own ideas about the knowledge that is backed by what they already know.
- Become a wise consumer of goods and information. Media literacy teaches children how to determine whether or not something is trustworthy.
- Make responsible media. Effective communication requires you to recognize your own point of view, express what you want to say in the way you want to say it, and understand that your communications have power.
- Determine the significance of the media in our culture. From celebrity gossip to magazine covers to memes, the media is constantly telling us something, molding our worldview, and even forcing us to act or think in specific ways.
- Recognize the author’s objective. What does the author want you to take away from a particular piece of media? Is it merely instructive, or is it attempting to broaden your horizons by introducing you to new concepts? Kids will make more educated decisions if they understand the level of influence something has.