The youth have a strong attraction to media that they need guidance in its proper use.
Speaking about the youth and media, I agree with one proponent who says that “our youth today have a strong predisposition, first, to ‘MEDIA’ (especially television), and second, to “malling“. So, practically one third of our teenagers’ time is for media exposure.But why are they so “hooked up” by the media? What’s in the Media that’s grabbing much of their attention… and keeping their minds away from home and school – even if they are right there are very much “present” physically?
Simply amazing-because unlike in school-the media (specifically the “mass media”) offer an informal curriculum that operates in an “open classroom”… so open (one speaker said) that “everyone, including parents, are drawn to them, too. What more, curriculum content is also very interesting as it includes ‘knowledge’ about people, places, things past and present, about politics, economics, crime, etc.; ‘behavior’ that includes fashion, eating, and drinking habit, traveling, relating with different people, etc. and more crucial still are ‘attitudes and values’ which, consciously or otherwise, are injected on audiences such as: ideas, principles, opinions, and so forth.”
Now, aware of the fact that the media are capable of ‘hooking’ us up with their multi-sensorial approach-it is precisely “Media Literacy Education” which will help both young and older people (of our country in particular) to properly understand the nature of the (mass) media curriculum.
Understood as “critical understanding, awareness and learning in a media environment,” media literacy education is not an exclusive task outside of an apostolic endeavor. In fact, the very “praxis” of media literacy education-to my mind, dovetails “communication as mission.”
Sidetracking a bit, I’d like to lift the questions and answers of Mr. Augy Loorthusamy (SIGNIS President) where he interestingly noted how “communication” (and media education, for that matter) can make a difference in the life of a Christian-that is, if “people”, he said, “have a clear idea of what communication is, why we communicate and how we are to communicate effectively”, and which he aptly delineated as: “Life,” “to Give life” and “Lifestyle” respectively.
True, if communication is LIFE…and to GIVE LIFE is the purpose…then, one can be an effective COMMUNICATOR only if he/she:
= gives life and not death to others
= life which means love – not hatred
hope not despair
faith – not distrust
For, in fact, LIFE is WEALTH. If we are able to give life, we also share this wealth to others…we are able to enrich them. Life also means, BUILDING others-not to DESTROY them. It is enabling them to GROW-not forcing them to DIE! This, for me, is what Christian Education is…and what Media Literacy Education is all about-in practice.
It is at this junction then, that I, personally believe that media literacy can truly help make a difference in people’s lives as they move about in this inescapable “media-mediated world”.