Assignment: As one of two projects that culminated in our final for CIED 6183: Media Literacy, we were to write a paper that explored a media literacy project in depth. Since I am a new parent, the topic of media and child development is of special interest to me and I have a personal as well as professional interest in exploring how media exposure affects child development and what parents can do to make sure they are raising critical-thinking children in a culture that is saturated with media.
Reflection: Before writing this paper I had some preconceptions regarding media exposure and child development, but as I explored a variety of research on the topic I realized I had to shift my views somewhat. Exposure to media is not universally bad, as I was previously prone to thinking, but neither is unfettered media access a good thing. Parents need to find a balance between exposing children to media in a way that guides their development while also making sure they are being given opportunities to grow creatively and critically through other means as well. Ultimately I hope the information I learned while writing this paper will be useful to me as a parent, and I hope I can raise my own child with a mindset for critical thinking and not simply taking media at face value.
Standards: TL-V.B. Continually evaluate and reflect on professional practice to make informed decisions regarding the use of technology in support of student learning.
Parents and Media Literacy: Raising Critical-Thinking Children in a Media-Rich World