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Media literacy should be taught in schools
Media Literacy should be Media Literacy should be taught in schools taught in schools
Cambell Kirk
The average U.S. citizen spends 721 minutes per day on some type of media, according to Statistica. In a world where news headlines, social media, and apps dominate everyday life, it’s more important than ever for kids to understand media literacy.
The 21st century is a new age. School systems must adapt to the onslaught of media information at our fingertips, or society as a whole will suffer. Teaching children the importance of internet safety, fake news, and more will help insure their well-being in a new era of information.
Ernest L. Boyer is the former president of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and United States commissioner of education.
“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,” Boyer said.
The digital age has made it easy for anyone to create media. We don’t always know who created something, why they made it, and whether it’s credible. This is why young, impressionable kids need to be armed with the knowledge to detect falsified information.
Understanding the media should be as much of a basic skill as being able to analyze a piece of text.
Daniela Torrey, a junior, hasn’t received any specific education relating to media literacy.
“It does worry me,” Torrey said. “Sometimes I’ll be scrolling through Twitter, and I’ll see a headline, and I honestly don’t know whether or not I can believe it.”
It’s never too late to start learning. This year, Addison Gaitan, an English teacher at Carlmont, piloted a program for her freshman students.
“I would stay the biggest takeaway from the unit was students realizing that our own cognitive biases are developed and upheld by algorithms online. Social media shows us news that supports what we already believe, and many adults and smart people fall victim to this misinformation or one-sided view,” Gaitan said.
If 45-year-olds struggle with this problem, what about the younger generation? It’s become the norm to expose kids as young as a couple months to iPhones, tablets, and television. These tools can be beneficial, but with them comes other problems. It isn’t guaranteed that parents know how to teach their children to deal with fake headlines and scammers. The responsibility should thus fall on schools to fill this role.
“This is all dangerous to our society and our democracy. Like many things in life, I think education is the way to start solving this problem,” Gaitan said.
Bringing lessons relating to media literacy into the classroom has many benefits for students. This includes learning how to think critically, the ability to differentiate between fake and real news, recognizing the message “behind” the message, and learning how to create media responsibly. When teachers show students how to be confident in these abilities, they can research and read more effectively.
In the coming years, the program should be added to the curriculum at Carlmont.
Amber Chia and Cambell Kirk
5:39
scot.scoop Can you spot the fake news headline?
SCIENTISTS CREATE A PLANT THAT CANNOT DIE
A
Real
B
Fake
A MAN WHO WAS REVIVED FROM A DRUG OVERDOSE STOLE AND CRASHED A POLICE CRUISER.
A
Real
B
Fake
NEW SPECIES OF DEADLY SPIDER KILLS TWENTY PEOPLE IN THE U.S
A
Real
B
Fake
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Answer Key (from top to bottom): B, A, B
