Importance of media literacy

 

Media literacy is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media in all its forms. It is important to be media literate so that you do not accept these media messages at face value, but instead to be critical and decide whether you will accept the messages being offered, or reject them.

Learn to think critically -  As kids evaluate media, they decide whether the messages make sense, why certain information was included, what wasn't included, and what the key ideas are. They learn to use examples to support their opinions. Then they can make up their own minds about the information based on knowledge they already have.

Become a smart consumer of products and information - Media literacy helps kids learn how to determine whether something is credible. It also helps them determine the "persuasive intent" of advertising and resist the techniques marketers use to sell products.

Create media responsibly - Recognizing your own point of view, saying what you want to say how you want to say it, and understanding that your messages have an impact is key to effective communication.

Understand the author's goal - What does the author want you to take away from a piece of media? Is it purely informative, is it trying to change your mind, or is it introducing you to new ideas you've never heard of? When kids understand what type of influence something has, they can make informed choices.

References - (https://www.commonsensemedia.org/articles/what-is-media-literacy-and-why-is-it-important)

(Media literacy - Wikipedia)