by Rita Malheiro

People cannot control what is published on the Internet because everyone can share whatever they want, even if it is just a dumb thought that occurred to them. One of the first things that you should do when reading, watching or listening to a Media production is to evaluate its credibility, which is something that only a Media Literate is capable of doing. Anything that makes you doubt, you should look further and do a research on your own in order to guarantee that you are getting correct information. When doing your own research, try to enlarge your knowledge by considering multiple perspectives. By doing that, your research will not only have your opinion but others’ opinions as well, contributing to the expansion your knowledge.

We all know that Media influences our beliefs, attitudes, values and behaviors, but what about Media directed to children? How can we, young adults, adults, parents or “older” people make sure that children are getting the right informations and taking full and correct advantage of Media productions? As Media Literate people, we should try to guide our children so that they don’t take into account anything that they see and think critically instead. Starting, maybe, by being by their side when they are searching their favorite programs or just by knowing what they are watching and decide if it is something they should or they shouldn’t see. By being in constant awareness, you can stop them from seeing unwanted information. Images have a lot of power on children, you must teach them how to understand and how to “read” the message.

Children are too young to really understand the extreme power of
Media and so it’s our job to teach them. Perhaps, when they are older, they will know how to choose their sources of information. Who knows if Media productions will, one day, be more real or at least the vast majority of the world will know how to use the different Media platforms wisely and effectively. The thought of living in a world where I don’t have to worry about whether the information that is being passed is accurate or not enlightens me.

The question is, are you teaching your kids how to be critical or are you simply letting them learn by themselves while you concentrate on your own things?