Introduction
Media is considered one of the prominent educators of students. Today, students spend more time on cell phones, televisions, computers, news outlets, advertisements, etc., than books. They are surrounded by the ever-growing flow of information from various media sources. While media provides multiple learning opportunities to students, it also exposes them to disinformation, hate content, biased opinions, etc. Teaching media literacy in classrooms has become essential because it helps students critically analyze information and generate effective responses. It equips students to differentiate credible news from fake news. It also enables students’ minds to navigate the complex digital world. Media literacy is also essential for ethical media consumption.
Definition of media literacy
Julia Robinson, an author, defines media literacy as the ability to access, decode, analyze, evaluate, and produce communication in various forms. It is essential for navigating today’s complex digital world. Media literacy also refers to strategies to evaluate information and the ways to combat disinformation.
Media’s growing influence on student’s life
In this technology-driven world, the media’s influence on students has grown to an unprecedented level. Students are surrounded by the flow of information from various media platforms. From classroom activities to social circle, media has become an integral part of students’ lives.
1.Age of media saturation
Students have become overly dependent on media for their routine activities. They prefer gathering information from the media to getting facts from books or other academic sources. Apart from academics, it has become their source of entertainment. Nowadays, students’ opinions are primarily shaped by the media. It is shaping their worldview uncritically.
2.Risks of over-dependence on media
The media’s growing influence on students has raised serious concerns regarding ethics, mental health, and other social aspects. In the digital world, it has become difficult to differentiate fact from fiction. The line between truth and false has become blurred. The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has further reinforced the fake news phenomenon. Resultantly, students are exposed to manipulation, poor decision-making, and gender-biased opinions.
Importance of Media Literacy in today’s classrooms
The growing role of media in human life and the corresponding challenges it creates necessitate teaching media literacy to people, especially students. Media literacy is necessary to make students wiser consumers of media and responsible content producers. Since media impacts beliefs, feelings, emotions, attitudes, and actions, there are reasons to believe that teaching media literacy is vital for institutes nowadays.
1.Making students critical thinkers
Media literacy enables students’ minds to analyze things, question source credibility, and evaluate information. Students start arguing about conservative ideas that are forcefully transmitted into the media. It encourages them to critically evaluate media content from all aspects and their impacts on individuals and society.
2.Countering disinformation
Media Literacy helps students identify misleading content, facts, and fiction through tools and platforms. In Finland, for example, students are taught to examine information multiple times to check credibility and validity. They analyze it and understand the context of media content through critical evaluation. They engage with experts to discuss that content and then construct their opinions.
3.Promoting creativity and innovation
Media literacy empowers students to become creative and innovative in their thinking. Teaching diverse perspectives of media content encourages them to create their own content, making them less reliant on plagiarized content. They learn to think critically about media and use it as a tool for problem-solving.
4.Fostering emotional intelligence in students
Media literacy teaches ways to regulate emotions. Students learn to develop empathy by considering feelings and perspectives. They manage their emotions through critical evaluation and fact-check analysis of media.
5.Tackling media bias and its impacts on public opinion
It encourages students to tackle media bias regarding social issues, including gender, climate, etc. For instance, in developed countries, media literacy has played a critical role in shaping students’ views on climate change and global warming. Challenging people’s skepticism about climate change, students use the same media to raise awareness campaigns about sustainable development.
6.Promoting cultural harmony in classrooms
Media literacy promotes cultural harmony in classrooms. It helps students develop a conscious mind that embraces cultural diversity and respects the difference of opinion. They try to show respect for others in their media content.
7.Countering cyberbullying and online harassment
Media literacy is important because it helps counter cyberbullying and harassment on campuses. Educational institutes can avert abuse and harassment by teaching students how to recognize harmful online behavior and its consequences on one’s privacy. It can be impactful in teaching students their rights to privacy and legal protection in the digital world.
8.Communicating the positive role of media
Teaching media literacy in classrooms can help students understand the potential of media. In educational institutes, media can be used to educate, inform, and unite communities through accurate and balanced presentation and reporting. Media can be used as a powerful tool for raising social awareness campaigns in institutes.
9.Empowering students to make prudent decisions
Teaching media literacy enables students to make informed decisions. It encourages them to evaluate the reliability and credibility of information before acting on it. When students are taught various aspects of media, they become cautious of their choices both online and offline.
10.Building responsible digital citizens
Media Literacy makes students responsible citizens by building a civic sense. It enhances their capabilities to understand social issues and encourages them to participate beyond classrooms. For example, students in Taiwan are taught to use media proactively for political and social prosperity.
Techniques to teach Media Literacy
There are multiple ways to teach media literacy in classrooms. Some countries launch courses and programs in media literacy. Other countries arrange seminars and workshops in their institutes to teach students strategies to combat disinformation and harmful content. For example, Finnish institutes have incorporated media literacy programs into their curriculum. Similarly, Massive Open Online Courses(MOOCs), a US-based platform, offers online courses on Media literacy to learners across the world.
Conclusion
Media literacy refers to the ability to assess and critically evaluate information. Teaching media literacy in the current era is important because the rise of social media has raised many concerns regarding the credibility and validity of information. It equips students with skills to combat disinformation and harmful content. It encourages students to manage emotions and feelings, leading them to make informed decisions. It is high time institutes launched media literacy programs to enhance the emotional skills of students.
