Media Literacy

Media Literacy

I know that I am young. Twenty-one years on this planet doesn’t quite make me an old-timer, yet sometimes I feel that I have witnessed many great changes. I remember the times when we would buy a band’s new tape, not CD. I remember playing video games where the game is an oversized plastic cartridge. I remember when we watched movies at home in a VCR player. I’ve witnessed in my twenty-one years some great changes in media formats, and with these changes I have been fortunate enough to stay literate with these new technologies. Most of these transitions occurred many years ago, yet I feel like I have to constantly stay on my toes as to not be left behind (or considered “illiterate”) in the fast paced digital age of today. In order to survive and thrive in this world, you must be media literate.

In my research of what exactly media literacy is, I came across an article solely devoted to helping people understand what Media literacy is. According to David Considine, who wrote the article, media literacy can be defined as “The Ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and communicate information in a variety of formats including print and non-print.” The last part of this definition explains how important media literacy is to present culture. “Print and non-print,” refers to every form of media/communication possible. This simple phrase encompasses writing, audio, visual, etc. as important communication medians.

It has become an everyday requirement to work hand and hand with technology. Even if someone is far from being media literate, they are forced to cope with our fast paced technology based culture.

Works Cited:

“An Introduction to Media Literacy: the what, whym and how-tos”. By David Considine. Fall 1995 issue of Telemedium, The Journal of Media Literacy, Volume 41, Number 2.

Jenkins, Henry. Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. New York, UP. 2008.

“The Past, Present, and Future of Media Literacy Education”. By Renee Hobbs and Amy Jensen. 2009. Journal of Media Literacy Education.