Media Literacy: The impact on children today

In a media ethics course, the final project was to develop and produce a public service announcement about the impact the media has had on our everyday lives. My group decided to concentrate on media impact on children and the disconnect it has caused on the normal and traditional family dynamic.

 

The subjects for our 30 second video were our children. My daughter of two years and another student’s daughter who is five. The message being channeled here is that too much iPad use and television impairs learning in children and cause long term learning delays. The implications are serious and tangible. The feeling of guilt drowned my body as my daughter knew exactly what to do when handed an iPad to set up the shot for the next scene. We have become accustomed to this new way of entertainment that it is now the norm. It is even “cute” at times when your little one knows to navigate an iPhone, unlock it and browse through pictures and play videos. But it really isn't cute, but dangerous.

 

As a single mom I find myself often resorting to distracting media tactics to find time to make dinner, do laundry, shower and finish homework.  Though many of us find excuses and many others try harder to break out of the habit, our digital world makes it extremely difficult to disconnect. Let alone disconnect our kids.

 

As a result we become an easy target for product placement. Being an avid shopper on Amazon and a proud prime member, I am always suggested products based on my shopping tendencies. Seems like such a convenient service but it's more like big brother. Creepy to think someone is watching me, knows what coffee I drink, the density of my pillow and if I prefer soap bars or liquid body wash. But the systems engineers and marketers are so talented that we have been programmed to appreciate this invasive creepiness.

 

If we fall into this digital dream world fantasy we are in grave danger. Social skills are already at a risk of extinction. People don't know how to interact in person anymore. The average person has 500 friends on Facebook but 5 in reality. Out of the 5 only 2 are probably visited in person.  

 

The refugee crisis is a good example. Even though social media was a useful took in raising awareness it also hindered the real effort needed. We need more people to get on their real feet, feel the stable ground they are blessed with, talk to their neighbor and create a proper buzz.  Not a digital one.  Many think they do their part by simply clicking the share button on their Facebook page. More of us should call to get information on how to volunteer, raise awareness, gather clothing and directly impact someone's life.

 

We need more human interaction, to talk, touch and feel emotions, suffering and joy. The day we are programmed to read our clothing for digital information will be the day we stop caring.

Refugee nobodies to the world, everything to their family.

I felt the need to alter the direction in which I am completing my homework for my Media culture class that starts today.  My social media accounts were drowning (pun intended) in the images of washed up Syrian refugees fleeing persecution.  I was left to wonder what is wrong with the world? 

I proceeded to post the horrifying event and brutal image of a 3 year old boy, face down on the beach, as dead as his dreams.  The post generated 14 likes and 7 comments.  I have 250 friends.  Something is clearly wrong with either the Facebook feed generator or my choice in friends.  One friend knew nothing about the Syrian revolution or the Assad regime.  Nor the fact that he has been wiping the entire population with a cocktail of weaponry, the world didn’t know still existed. 

I can’t help the tears as I type, my heart sinks, as I know every minute that passes, every word I type, a Syrian heart stops somewhere.   As of today, around 190,000 are dead and 10.8 million in urgent need of humanitarian assistance inside Syria and 3.8 million refugees around the world.  This issue has received almost no media coverage in the U.S. since the revolution started.  The censorship prevailing over the media networks and concealing the screams of many passionate journalists is now causing lives.   The New York Times article, and various other news outlets covered the story of the boy who washed up on the shores of a Turkish beach.  However, they failed to showcase the wasted innocence, a great loss to humanity but even bigger to the surviving father.  Only a photo of a rescue worker carrying the child was published.  Censoring critical facts as such is unethical, and makes for mild news.  I think Americans can handle the picture of a face down little boy.  I think it should be in their face front and center, as they read their morning news, sipping their perfectly brewed coffee and eating a nice warm coffee cake.  We deserve the truth, reality without make up or blush.  Because the ugly will wake up that moral beast in us, shake us up to do something.

But there aren’t enough passionate hearts, not enough senators who care or UN representatives who rise up.  Shame on the world for not doing enough.  Shame on our government, officials, community, schools and educators.  They are Syrians but we are all part of a global community, with responsibilities to each other.  We have the responsibility of opening doors not building fences. 

This week, every country had an emergency review of their refugee crisis policy, not to find a solution and help, but to justify shutting the door in their face.  It’s international policy, they are following treaty agreements they said.  What policy? Why does that matter? These are starving children, tired mothers and desperate fathers.  They are flesh and blood not ink on paper!

Wake up world! This could have been you!