Media Education
Dr. Sushmita Pandit
Associate Professor
Amity School of Communication, Kolkata
"The illiterate of the
21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot
learn, unlearn, and relearn."- Alvin Toffler, Futurist and Author.
The digital world has brought
rapid changes around the world. In today's age, since people have access to a
variety of information online, it becomes even more important to understand and
interpret real information. So, media literacy is not a skill, but it has
become a survival tool in the digital age.
Media literacy is accessing, analyzing, evaluating, and creating media across platforms. Given the
information overload in digital media, it has become increasingly important for
people to analyse content critically.
There has been a rise in
misleading information online, leading to lynchings, riots, and deaths in the
real world. As news now travels at the speed of a click, it becomes even more
important to not only interpret it but also to find the source behind the
information.
Media literacy helps people not
only identify fake news but also ask the right questions- questions about the
source of the content, the purpose of the content, to whom it is aimed, whether
it leaves out any particular group or community, etc., needs to be asked.
Media literacy empowers people to
challenge the media, reuse it, and respond thoughtfully to the conversations
surrounding it. Young people growing up in this digital world learn skills that
make them understand the layered meanings inherent in media messages.
Educators, Governments, and
policymakers need to play an important role in incorporating media literacy
into the curriculum, especially in an age in which algorithms and AI influence
individual behaviour. Media literacy is no longer a choice but a mandatory
skill that will help us become more informed, empowered, and connected. This
way, we can build stronger democracies by making conversations possible.
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