Media Literacy in The Digital Age

 

Media literacy is an incredibly valuable skill to have with digital sources being apart of our daily lives. While the new-coming digital age has many benefits, such as more connection with peers, increased invention, and accessibility, it also raises many questions about the legitimate safety of media. Safety is a concern with all devices, not just phones, its a concern to those who regularly use any type of technology, and while some connections seem like just coincidences, they often are much more than that. An example of this is when your speaking to someone, weather in person or on the phone, about an item that you wish to buy, and all of a sudden when you open your phone it is filled with ads for that item. This specific example is a result of social medias algorithm and age of consumerism preying on peoples specific interest.

One Ted Talk I watched that I felt really stuck with me was when Juan Enriquez was discussing media literacy and compared individuals media presence to tattoos which I thought was really interesting. He states that tattoos shout, even though they are silent, and outsiders can gather huge amounts of information from individuals just by looking, similar to media history.

After making this comparison, he explains various Greek lessons to strengthen this comparison. One lesson that really sat with me was the lesson of Sisyphus, which he compares to pushing a rock up a hill over and over, but it doesn't make a difference because your media history persistently follows you no matter what. Additionally, digital resources make it incredibly easy to detect facial recognition so Enriquez urges viewers to be extremely careful about what they post and remember it will follow them.

There are some things that will never change with the digital age and will always stay stuck in time, no matter how much technology advances. There are many things you can do about protecting your safety from third parties and the government, as the government changing their ways with surveillance isn't always promised. Examples include thinking about what you want to post before you post it, make accounts private, check app permissions, use strong passwords, and never use personal information. While the digital age makes new innovations daily, there are numerous ways to protect yourself and your loved ones and practice digital literacy.