While browsing the Web the other night, I stumbled upon a media literacy test on PBS’s website. As a 21 year old in 2008 I consider myself relatively media literate, so I took the test confidently. I’m almost done with my mass communications class, so I basically know what there is to know about being media literate.
A score of 6 out of 15 was a rude awakening. I pride myself in not believing everything I see on television and having an accurate knowledge of the media in general. After licking my wounds from my hurt ego, I began to think that maybe I’m not as up to speed as I should be. I obviously have more to learn about the world than I thought, and when I do get some spare time, maybe I should brush up on my media literate skills. I didn’t see the rush to start learning more about the media immediately, though.
I browsed through the correct answers to the majority of the questions that I missed and I was disturbed to learn that 68% of American children between the ages of 8 and 18 have television sets in their rooms. Also according to PBS, it is estimated that children view 40,000 television advertisements on average annually. These two statistics were just eye openers to the rest of the information.
While I am nowhere near the point of bringing children into the world, I do want my children to be independent thinkers that do not rely solely on the media for information. I want my kids to answer all 15 of the questions on this test correctly. As a firm believer in the theory that good parenting skills trump all, I began thinking that future parents are the most in need of being media literate. Children can only be media literate if their parents are, and if their parents relay their knowledge.
It is easy to find help becoming more media literate online. Many people, like Dr. Peter DeBenedittis actually have websites offering information about media literacy. The University of Michigan offers information about why media literacy is so important for children. According to the website, it is important not that children spend less time with media necessarily, but rather that they know how to learn how to read and understand media. The website offers ways for parents to explain issues and media to their children.
Even scientific research has started to explore the importance of media literacy for children. The University of Florida's Family, Youth and Community Services has gathered information and states that children between the ages of 8 and 13 use the most media, in particularly television. The same study mentions a list of tips for parents to use concerning their children’s media intake and message interpreting.
While it may seem that children in the preteen and teenaged years are the most in need of media literacy, it is unfair to condemn them to being responsible for interpreting media. Rather, parents and more importantly, future parents are the most in need of media literacy. If people my age begin to become more media literate now, when we have children of our own, hopefully we can train them to be media literate, as well. With more educated and aware parents, it can only be deduced that children will stand a better chance of being media literate, too. Future parents cannot assume we know everything about media, especially if we plan on raising children that are as smart, and hopefully smarter than we are.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Too Cynical for Reactions
Ultimately, one must let oneself be influenced by the media, and using the media as reason for one’s actions simply is absurd. The media can, however can have an impact on a person’s decisions and even contribute along with many other aspects to how a person reacts to situations.
After conducting an exercise out of James Potter’s Media Literacy, I have decided that I am a bit too cynical of media to let it have a tremendous effect on me. I considered how his 13 factors could be present in a violent movie and if they would increase the probability that I might react violently.
The basic point of the exercise was to look at 13 factors that could increase or decrease the potential of reacting to a form of media. I first thought of a violent movie and then an emotional/sad movie.
After plugging in the factors for each movie, I realized that I tend to have little reaction based on a movie. Sure, if I am the same age as a character or I’ve been in a similar situation, I relate better to a movie, but in general my reactions are very passive. Had I watched Saw with the motivation of looking for new ways to kill people, I may have been more likely to exhibit violent effects. Movies, though, are just movies. They are meant to entertain and little more than that.
Personally, I am too passive and rather scared of violent movies for me to be very affected by violent movies. I tend to not watch them in general simply because I don’t usually find them entertaining. I do react to sad or emotional movies like A Walk to Remember.
I do have a threshold for sad forms of media. It does not take much for me to cry, but my reactions seldom go further than the act of crying; I do not go out and mimic what I have seen in movies. A perfect example of my reactions to movies is Sweeney Todd. While this movie was very violent, the only parts I reacted to were the sad ones at the end of the movie. I left the theatre with slightly wet eyes, but nothing more. I did not see any reason to react to the movie; it was only a movie.
I do not have many direct or indirect effects of watching media. The reason for this is that I am simply too skeptical to messages I see in the media. My lifestyle and developmental abilities in general leave me trying to see all points of view that are brought up in any form of media. Even the most one sided media demonstrations can offer an opportunity to learn about anything. People who are affected entirely by the media are simply unable to make decisions on their own.
After conducting an exercise out of James Potter’s Media Literacy, I have decided that I am a bit too cynical of media to let it have a tremendous effect on me. I considered how his 13 factors could be present in a violent movie and if they would increase the probability that I might react violently.
The basic point of the exercise was to look at 13 factors that could increase or decrease the potential of reacting to a form of media. I first thought of a violent movie and then an emotional/sad movie.
After plugging in the factors for each movie, I realized that I tend to have little reaction based on a movie. Sure, if I am the same age as a character or I’ve been in a similar situation, I relate better to a movie, but in general my reactions are very passive. Had I watched Saw with the motivation of looking for new ways to kill people, I may have been more likely to exhibit violent effects. Movies, though, are just movies. They are meant to entertain and little more than that.
Personally, I am too passive and rather scared of violent movies for me to be very affected by violent movies. I tend to not watch them in general simply because I don’t usually find them entertaining. I do react to sad or emotional movies like A Walk to Remember.
I do have a threshold for sad forms of media. It does not take much for me to cry, but my reactions seldom go further than the act of crying; I do not go out and mimic what I have seen in movies. A perfect example of my reactions to movies is Sweeney Todd. While this movie was very violent, the only parts I reacted to were the sad ones at the end of the movie. I left the theatre with slightly wet eyes, but nothing more. I did not see any reason to react to the movie; it was only a movie.
I do not have many direct or indirect effects of watching media. The reason for this is that I am simply too skeptical to messages I see in the media. My lifestyle and developmental abilities in general leave me trying to see all points of view that are brought up in any form of media. Even the most one sided media demonstrations can offer an opportunity to learn about anything. People who are affected entirely by the media are simply unable to make decisions on their own.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Two and a Half Equals Eight
According to the Neilson Ratings found on Zap2it.com Two and a Half Men on CBS ranked number eight out of 20 for the week of March 24 to March 30. According to the ratings, 9,723,000 households, or 14,235,000 viewers watched the show. The show is about two brothers living together. One brother is a bachelor at its truest sense of the word, while the other is a divorcee trying to raise his son without exposing him too much to his brother’s free life style. Being a show with a more “adult” sense of humor, 9:00 PM on Monday is the best timeslot for the television sitcom.
The only other show in the same timeslot as Two and Half Men that ranked on the Neilson Ratings was Deal or No Deal which ranked 20th, with a rating vs. share score of 6.2/9.0, 6,972,000 households, and 10,140,000 viewers tuning in. Two and a Half Men has a rating vs. share score of 8.6/13.0. Although Deal or No Deal has a better ratio, it is filling a smaller share than Two and a Half Men. Obviously more people are watching Two and a Half Men which gives the show an advantage on the ratings scale. With the show ranking at a slightly above average eighth place, it is an interesting idea to ponder what a timeslot change would do to its ratings.
A timeslot change for the show would not be a complete disaster, as long as it were still showed later at night. With the joke and content of the show being for a more mature audience, it would suffer if it had to compete with more family oriented shows such as American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, which all air at 8:00 PM on Tuesday, Monday, and Sunday, respectively.
If a timeslot change allowed for the same time, but different day, Two and a Half Men would be looking at competition from Dancing with the Stars which airs at 9:00 PM on Tuesdays on ABC, American Idol on FOX at 9:00 PM on Wednesdays, and The Apprentice 7 on NBC at 9:00 on Thursdays.
The ratings of Two and a Half Men would probably change drastically if it were to be aired at an earlier time when families are more likely to be watching television programs together. A later time slot might increase ratings, allowing parents an extra half an hour to put their children to bed before watching their show.
For now, Two and a Half Men holds strong in the ratings. With its time and day being perfect for its content, the show is bound to remain successful.
The only other show in the same timeslot as Two and Half Men that ranked on the Neilson Ratings was Deal or No Deal which ranked 20th, with a rating vs. share score of 6.2/9.0, 6,972,000 households, and 10,140,000 viewers tuning in. Two and a Half Men has a rating vs. share score of 8.6/13.0. Although Deal or No Deal has a better ratio, it is filling a smaller share than Two and a Half Men. Obviously more people are watching Two and a Half Men which gives the show an advantage on the ratings scale. With the show ranking at a slightly above average eighth place, it is an interesting idea to ponder what a timeslot change would do to its ratings.
A timeslot change for the show would not be a complete disaster, as long as it were still showed later at night. With the joke and content of the show being for a more mature audience, it would suffer if it had to compete with more family oriented shows such as American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, which all air at 8:00 PM on Tuesday, Monday, and Sunday, respectively.
If a timeslot change allowed for the same time, but different day, Two and a Half Men would be looking at competition from Dancing with the Stars which airs at 9:00 PM on Tuesdays on ABC, American Idol on FOX at 9:00 PM on Wednesdays, and The Apprentice 7 on NBC at 9:00 on Thursdays.
The ratings of Two and a Half Men would probably change drastically if it were to be aired at an earlier time when families are more likely to be watching television programs together. A later time slot might increase ratings, allowing parents an extra half an hour to put their children to bed before watching their show.
For now, Two and a Half Men holds strong in the ratings. With its time and day being perfect for its content, the show is bound to remain successful.
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