General Purpose Statement
To aid children in developing an understanding of the media to help them be wise consumers.
Specific Purpose Statement
To equip children and the young generation with relevant knowledge and provide them with the necessary tools to understand the present media landscape and be critical informers.
Introduction
Everybody is continually bombarded by the information we receive from various media channels. As naïve as they are, children also access details from the media, and in most cases, they cannot differentiate misinformation and fake news from real ones (Mason et al., 2018). My key concern today is the media’s effect on children who use it without guidance. Studies have revealed that children between the ages of 8 to 18 spend up to eight hours a day interacting with various media forms such as television, computers, and social media (Kellner & Share, 2019). For this reason, I believe it is pertinent that we all become teachers and mentors to our children and train them in media literacy to help them know what information suits them and how to access it.
Main Points
Children are heavily influenced by the details they consume from the media. This information always reflects in their way of thinking. Therefore, it is of paramount salience that, at such a young age, they only interact with relevant data (Rasi et al., 2019). Training them allows the children to analyze, evaluate and learn what is educative. Some sites on the media offer informative data that can help students meet their academic goals. Children also have a challenge differentiating between facts and fiction (Bulger & Davison, 2018). Media literacy will help the children identify credible channels. With adequate mentorship, they will become wise media consumers. The skills acquired will enable them to identify trustworthy information sources.
Conclusion
Media literacy is critical in today’s society, where everyone, including children, has access. Despite being naïve to the current situation, most children also source information from the media. Unlike adults, the young generation cannot differentiate right from wrong or facts from fiction. For these reasons, it is crucial to train children on media literacy and ensure they benefit fully from it. Children should be guided on where to receive data from.
References
Bulger, M., & Davison, P. (2018). The promises, challenges, and futures of media literacy. Journal of Media Literacy Education, 10(1), 1-21.
Kellner, D., & Share, J. (2019). The critical media literacy guide: Engaging media and transforming education. Brill.
Mason, L. E., Krutka, D., & Stoddard, J. (2018). Media literacy, democracy, and the challenge of fake news. Journal of Media Literacy Education, 10(2), 1-10.
Rasi, P., Vuojärvi, H., & Ruokamo, H. (2019). Media literacy education for all ages.Journal of Media Literacy Education, 11(2), 1-19.