Question: Media Response: Parents Shaping Media Experiences

Context: Your text authors describe the concept of "media literacy" in multiple ways. Such descriptors include developing critical thinking skills about mass messages, understanding the process of mass communication, improving one's awareness of impact/effects, and cultivating an appreciation of media content. Media literacy requires education (of yourself and others.) Hence, parents play a critical role in this process (for good or evil). They can create balance surrounding time expectations, educate themselves on new trends, encourage safe online behaviors, and provide opportunities for learning new skills. In contrast, research findings illustrate parents becoming overly consumed by their own media-use and oversharing online (to the dismay of their children.)

Instructions: What should parents expect from their children and what should children expect from their parents regarding media-use habits? Specifically, answer the following questions:

(1) How should parents (or caregivers) most effectively teach children and adolescents to be media literate? Are particular topics more important than others? On the other hand, (2) How can children and adolescents "educate" their parents about their personal needs and expectations surrounding media use?

Support your ideas with information from our course readings(ch.11-13) and/or any other resources you find relevant.