As stated in the article titled "What is Media Literacy?" by the Media Literacy Project “media literacy is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate and create media.” In other words, individuals who are media literate are better able to understand the messages we receive from television, radio, newspapers, magazines, books, billboards, video games, music and all other forms of media. Media literate individuals are able to think critically about news, entertainment and advertisements. They ask questions such as “who is this targeting?” and “why is it important?” Media literacy teaches people to look for what is not in the media and to understand why certain messages and viewpoints were not included.
Media literacy, in a general sense, means understanding
the role of commercialism and advertising in shaping our media system. It also
means understanding how class, race and gender influence the media we
assimilate. It is important for individuals to understand that media in
constructed by people and organizations based on their interests, biases, and
viewpoints. Media literacy is important because it has been said to build
social skills through the opportunities it provides for sharing ideas,
listening, teamwork and collaboration.
Overall,
media literacy has altered the ways in which we communicate with each other in
the 21st century. It is important for young students and adults to
be media literate because we are surrounded by technology tools and the
internet in our everyday lives. Social media sites that youth usually use, such
as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, are filled with advertisements. Youth and
adults need to be able to think critically about the information they are being
provided with in the media.
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