Just Start a Conversation

Just Start a Conversation

The phrase media literacy has accrued a lot of mileage since 2016. It means different things to different people. Diversity of viewpoints applies just as much to the media literacy movement as it does to politics, art, economics, culture—and whether pumpkin flavoring should be added to anything other than pie.

Diversity of views is what fuels (not fumbles) the movement towards media literacy. At PLAY, we think of media literacy as a continuous (lifelong) journey rather than a destination that one finally arrives at. But such a stance can be overwhelming, we know. So, our recommendation during Media Literacy Week (Oct 21-25, 2019) is to share this 2-minute video from Media Smarts with a family member, friend, student, and/or colleague. And then talk. Together. See where the discussion leads.

Use some Common Sense during #MediaLiteracyWk

Use some Common Sense during #MediaLiteracyWk

Common Sense Media is a non-profit, non partisan organization that has been around since 2003. Common Sense caters primarily to three different constituencies: Common Sense Media (parents), Common Sense Media Education (teachers), and Common Sense Action (advocates). Its organizational mission is to “provide education and advocacy to families to promote safe technology and media for children.” While “safe use” can sometimes allude to protectionism rather than empowerment, the Common Sense web site tells otherwise (in both Spanish and English).

We at PLAY think that if there is just one new resource families can add to their media literacy toolkit to commemorate National Media Literacy Week (Oct 21-25, 2019), it should be Common Sense Media. Here are just a few reasons: