Weekly Reading 9 and Discussion

Chapter 6 Protection and Empowerment

Before diving into this chapter I first want to say that I am sometimes thankful that I do not have any girls in my home that I have to compete with the media with for self- worth.  However, I do see my sons struggle at times and try to have a sense of what they feel is important. 

"Researchers don't yet understand exactly why and how young people use media as a type of superpeer."  There are times when I myself have asked this question.  What is the draw?  I think it is the magic of popularity, mass media, and lack of communication. There are many celebrities out there that ARE good role models.  However, I think it our fascination with what is really right and wrong where we find ourselves in a place of varying opinion. 

"As a parent, I am a proud protectionist."  This is true for me as well and there are so many times when I have failed in this.  I wish I could always monitor and make them watch and view media that would not take away their innocence.  I think when they were young I did a fair amount of this.  As my boys have grown up, it has gotten so much harder.  As our youngest is 6, I fear he may have been exposed to much more than those before him.  His older brothers watch violent movies and even the cartoons have so much violence it is hard to tell him to go somewhere else.  I was always told wait to you hear what your children learn on the bus.  I guess there is point to this- however, I did try to be proactive and equip my children with the truth and then had to let go of the reigns and give them the freedom to make the right choice.  Of course there are limits that we set.  My biggest fear is not equipping them enough and they learn untruths from their friends. 

This chapter describes critical autonomy being a critical component of digital and media education.  This concept explains that it is critical for teachers to "develop in pupils enough self-confidence and critical maturity to be able to apply critical judgements to media texts which they will encounter in the future."  Its focus is on meaning making and respect for diverse interpretations.  WOW- I love this and agree that as our students are relying so much on media sources we have to give them the tools to find truth and understanding.