What is media literacy and why is it important?

 Media Literacy is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate and create media in a variety of forms. According to Media Literacy Project media literacy is referred to the ability to read and write. Media Literacy is commonly used in grades K-12 classrooms where students learn more about visual literacy. Visual literacy means to basically read pictures without words and grasp an understanding of what the artist was trying to showcase. You can lean more about Visual Literacy here. Media Literacy also gives us the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media.without media literacy we would be able to get our daily news, entertainment, or any other form of media from the internet or television.

With the help of media literacy we can advance the skills of young children and adults through various processes. For example media literacy can help with developing critical thinking skills, and understand how media messages shape our culture and society. Media literacy is important because it can help our teens become media literate, we can help protect them from pressures from advertising and other media forms to smoke, drink, use drugs, have sex, or eat unhealthy foods. Media literacy is also important because it can help teens and young children build communication skills, encourage them to consider multiple interpretations of media messages, put portrayals of themselves and others in perspective, and improve media use habits, such as changing ritualistic viewing behaviors. In addition, we can improve the media use habits of the entire family and promote more proactive behavior among all family members.