Engage

Hi Waterloo!

Did you know that it's Media Literacy Week? Follow along to learn more about digital and media literacy by delving into the five different themes of this year: use, understand, engage, access and verify.

To start, engagement in media literacy plays a unique role in learning more about digital media literacy and the different aspects involved. The theme of engagement is a highlight of this year’s Media Literacy Week because it involves “making and using media to express yourself and participate in your communities.” This means engaging in digital media can help people understand themselves and their communities more deeply.

In general, media literacy refers to the ability to identify different types of media. There are many of different sources of media, from television to Instagram, where someone has created content for a reason. Understanding media is another element of media literacy; being able to draw conclusions, think critically, recognize bias and understand the goal of the media is imperative. Looking out for fake news, information bias and internet phishing are examples of why media literacy is essential to understand and apply when consuming media. Asking questions like, who created this? who is this message for? and what details are left out and why? encourages critical thinking.

Living in a digitally connected world where  technology is constantly changing, it can be hard to keep up with the times  but it is important to learn how to use new technologies. Engaging with digital media can help us adapt content to better fit differing audiences. Changing colours, fonts, topics and even the format of the media produced can help us better engage with  audiences. Creating media to communicate with others using images, videos and sound, help share information in new ways, ultimately reaching a wider range of people.

Being able to reflect on the social and political implications of media is crucial, as community engagement is directly related to the ability of media and media tools to relay information and opinions to the public. The ability to engage using digital media provides new avenues of connecting with others on varying scales and contributing to the vast digital society.