Social Cruelty—A New American Pastime

American Idol enjoyed its climb to fame and pop culture dominance during a time when my family was busy moving.  So when my friend called me two years ago to say that her eldest came home from school stating that he was “the only person in his class that did not watch American Idol last night.”  I was more than a little surprised.  We commiserated begrudgingly that we were crossing a line in the maturing process where peer pressure was entering the equation.

Even worse, though, was my realization that this was the way the majority of American families were spending their “family time.”  Wasn’t there a time in the not so distant past when families threw around a ball together and considered baseball America’s pastime?

I caught glimpses of Idol earlier on and, initially, couldn’t understand the lure.  Then I remembered that when I was a bit older than ten I loved to watch live entertainment on TV, particularly if a young teen idol like Shaun Cassidy or Andy Gibb were the stars.  And I would have preferred said show to baseball.  My parents were usually in the room while I watched—the whole family was because the sole TV in the house in the TV Room.  My parents seemed pretty detached from my enthusiasm and certainly felt comfortable commenting on outfits, gestures and lyrics.

The disturbing bit for me with Idol, and the reason I chose not to start watching back then, was my concern that so many kids were witness to the criticism Simon Cowell doled out so liberally.  As I write this today, I recognize that the implicit endorsement of this type of behavior that comes from witnessing such interactions with the primary teachers of social behavior in a child’s life—his parents—may send an even more powerful message than Simon’s taunts.

I remain hopeful that some parents are choosing to use Cowell’s remarks as “teachable moments” about how we humans observe behavior and then decide how to treat each other.

Back in the ‘70s adults certainly were aware that kids said and did mean things to each other and they confirmed that this is how kids act.  But generally, our parents and other adults surrounding us engaged in a world of social propriety even with people they weren’t particularly fond of.  They may have gossiped or griped about that person behind their back, but the social atmosphere at the time was different.

I believe that American Idol and the rest of the “reality TV” genre have left an indelible impression on our culture and not a positive one.  Sadly, I believe that one of the key messages kids may have been left with is that it’s okay to survey and comment (usually negatively) on the behavior and performance of others—particularly when there’s an audience.  These portrayals of social cruelty coupled with access to digital social networks open up new arenas for more widespread social cruelty among our youth.

You Tube views of various Idol performances have reached into the low millions.  But here’s something I find very curious:

Susan Boyle’s Britain’ Got Talent performance has received over 87 million views on YouTube. There’s no doubt that her voice is amazing and she’s a talented and gifted artist.  But ultimately, I believe, the heavy global viewing of Boyle’s clip was because prior to her performance she was unfazed by Simon’s persona and her sheer talent managed to silence Simon, the schoolyard bully.  Ditto for six-year old Connie Talbot’s performance with 67 million views.

Though Simon Cowell left Idol last month, he’s just setting up shop with a nearly duplicate show hoping he can amass still more millions from his rude persona and our collective obsession with celebrity.

Maybe at this point our culture has received its fill.  In the words of Winston Churchill:

“You can always count on Americans to do the right thing–after they’ve tried everything else.”

By the time most of  you read this the 2010 Winter Olympics—a truer version of reality TV, although definitely not a reality for most of us–will be over.  But Olympic events are just a small bit of the vast array of digital media that afford us more ways than ever to inspire our children for the realities of their lives.  And while the majority of our kids won’t appear in the Olympics or on American Idol, digital media give them the opportunity to present their unique gifts and talents to an audience that will appreciate them.

If today’s quote that Simon Cowell is ready for “little Simons” with his new love is true, I wonder how he will feel when his new love and “little Simones” endure his brand of lack of regard for the feelings of others.

Parents, and you, Simon as a potential-parent-to-be,  it’s time to do the right thing.  Use the immense digital resources at your disposal to start conversations with kids about their behavior and the behavior they witness in their peers.  Tell them to expect bad social behavior and arm them with responses to it.  Find examples of people using their lives to inspire and uplift others.

Sr. Rose Pacatte Honored by Catholics In Media Associates (CIMA)

Congratulations from Gateway Media Literacy Partners, Inc. go to media literacy educator and great friend of media literacy, Sr. Rose Pacatte, FSP director of the Pauline Center for Media Studies, Culver City CA. She’ll soon receive the Board of Directors Award for the 17th Annual Catholics In Media Associates (CIMA) Awards.

Sister Rose is a film reviewer, a Venice Film Festival jurist, prolific blogger,  author and dedicated educator.   Especially, that she has numerous connections in St. Louis,  we send our best wishes to this dynamic woman for her exceptional leadership in media literacy education.

Becker Library Announces Mobile School Health Information Initiative

A new program from the Bernard Becker Medical Library, an institutional member of GMLP, targets librarians to help school children understand and access relevant health information.  It’s called the Mobile School Health Information (MoSHI) Initiative , and incorporates three key collaborators:

• BJC School Outreach & Youth Development
• Family Resource Center, St. Louis Children’s Hospital
• Gateway Media Literacy Partners

For more information, and to see a list of proposed activities, visit this link.

Media Literacy: Critical Thinking for the Information Age – A report from the 2010 Midwest Educational Technology Conference

By Frank W. Baker (Media Literacy Clearinghouse)

I found myself, once again, in the St. Louis area on Wednesday February 10, where I was one of the featured speakers at the 2010 Midwest Educational Technology Conference at the St. Charles Convention Center.

My two hour presentation came at the end of the two day event and I was pleased once again to have area educators come and hear why media literacy should become a priority in our schools.

My workshop came on the heels of the recently released Kaiser Family Foundation report Generation M2: Media In The Lives of Young People Ages 8-18.  Once again, the Kaiser survey finds young people cramming more media (and technology) use into a single day, so much so that it surprised even the researchers.  (One underplayed fact from the study: young people self-reported that the more media they used, the worse their grades were.)

We know that young people today are enamored of “their” media– that means constantly being on: on the computer, on the phone, etc. What researchers don’t know yet is what impact all of this exposure (and media multitasking) is doing to their brains. (We already know what it’s doing to their bodies: but that’s another story.)

Where does media literacy fit in to all of this?  It is clear that many of today’s schools have not yet revised their policies on the appropriateness of using cell phones, blogs and wikis in instruction. Yet many educational publications are abuzz with stories of successful applications of these emerging “new literacies.”  Young people today are already publishers, creators and broadcasters—using one tool: the cell phone. And where do they learn how to upload, download?  Certainly not the schools.  But that will change.

Last July, Education Secretary Arne Duncan urged schools to consider using cell phones for everything from homework to basic communications.

My workshop at METC was designed to demonstrate how media literacy correlates to several of the Show-Me State Teaching Standards. After asking participants to draft their own definitions of media literacy, I shared one of my favorites, which originated from Canada:

“Media literacy,” it says,” is concerned with helping students develop an informed and critical understanding of the nature of mass media, the techniques used by them, and the impact of these techniques. More specifically, it is education that aims to increase the students’ understanding and enjoyment of how the media work, how they produce meaning, how they are organized, and how they construct reality. Media literacy also aims to provide students with the ability to create media products.”  (Ontario Board of Ed, 1996)

I called attention to the word “techniques” because it also occurs throughout the Show-Me Standards.

In health, for example, the standard says “use critical thinking skills to analyze marketing and advertising techniques.”

I distributed a magazine advertisement for pizza aimed at young people and without giving the audience any guidance, I asked them, working in groups, to brainstorm how they might use the ad in a classroom setting.  After sharing their findings, I introduced the Media Literacy core concepts and critical thinking questions and challenged these educators to dig deeper while engaging students in advertising and marketing messages. Digging deeper might involve:

1. examining the colors used in the ad;
2. considering the layout;
3. thinking about how the eyes move through the various elements in the ad;
4. asking who created the ad; and
5. considering in what magazine the ad was published.

The draft of the new Information, Technology and Media Literacy Standard says “analyze and evaluate media techniques used to convey the message.”

Using this new standard, I introduced my audience to a toy commercial and encouraged them to think about the visual and audio techniques used in the production as well as the common techniques of persuasion.  (Teachers should use popular culture texts of their students, like toy commercials, in the classroom.  If teachers fail to “meet their students where they are” then their credibility is at stake.)  The toy commercial in question is one that I have uploaded to YouTube and built a lesson plan around—thus encouraging teachers to use it.

(The lesson can be found here:  http://www.frankwbaker.com/buy_me_that)

Finally, I introduced the language of film. Most teachers use film and most students love the movies, but unfortunately, too many of us watch passively. I believe media literacy encourages us to “turn on” the thinking parts of our brain. When we begin to understand the tools and techniques used by filmmakers, we better appreciate how these create meaning. I showed the opening scene from Steven Spielberg’s “ET- The Extra Terrestrial.”  At first, we all watched the clip passively. But the second time around, groups of teachers were given an assignment: each group had to watch the scene a second time, but this time they had to concentrate on one of the languages of film. One group made note of the music; another sound effects; and another how different camera shots were framed. After the second viewing, and a discussion with the colleagues sitting around the table, the educators were anxious to share their findings—a rich discussion ensued and a better understanding of the language of film occurred.

It is clear that teachers need and want this kind of hands-on, interactive, engaging workshop that helps them better understand how to approach media texts and, at the same time, gives them the confidence to dive into media literacy analysis and production.

Teachers need the confidence and the training in order to teach media literacy. Right now, they have neither.  But we have a chance to change that in 2010.

All of us need to keep “media literacy” education on the front burner. It is already part of the 21^st Century Skills all students need in order to be competent communicators and civically engaged citizens.

Click here for my PowerPoint presentation at METC 2010.

Youthful Digital Decisions Often Lead to Unintended Consequences, Law Enforcement Representatives Say

St. Charles County Judge Rick Zerr and agents from the St. Charles County Cybercrime unit presented parents with data about recent incidents involving underage minors and their use of digital devices at a talk called “Parenting in the Digital Age” on Thursday, February 4, 2010.  Zerr remarked on the extraordinary lack of concern today’s teens have about privacy and personal space compared to adults.  Younger generations may not have been much more concerned about privacy than today’s teens, but technology allows personal information and images to be disseminated to scores of people instantly.

Zerr described present day life as “a perfect clash” between the explosion of digital technology and kids without maturity and knowledge of legal, social, emotional and physical risks.  Judge Zerr and Cybercrime agents encouraged parents to have frequent discussions with their children about these issues and to set limits with all things digital.  Examples included:  limiting the number of texts allowed per month; keeping digital devices out of bedrooms and other private areas; familiarizing themselves with Internet/texting slang terms; and encouraging kids to avoid posting private information and photographs as much as possible.

Zerr said that this generation is at great risk of being solicited, harassed, bullied and having their personal information/identities stolen.  There is potential for teens to be charged with crimes because of their lack of awareness about when cyber-activities they view as “no big deal” cross into illegal territory.  Parents are the best resource kids have to help them navigate the digital world if tehy  keep themselves informed about the constantly changing digital landscape.  Conversations about all the consequences of digital life (legal, social, emotional, physical) should be discussed and revisited frequently.

Don Corrigan,The Webster-Kirkwood Times Editor, Featured in NPR Piece

GMLP member Don Corrigan recounts for NPR’s On The Media, what it was like to cover the Kirkwood courthouse shooting–a story that hit so close to home.

Here’s a link to the story, and you can listen below.

Thinking Clearly? Parenting Class can help

Renaud Spirit Center, O’Fallon, Missouri is the site for a class designed to help parents develop their thinking skills with regard to parenting decisions.  The class, Critical Thinking for Parents of Elementary School Children, will be offered on Monday, February 22, 2010 from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Parents of elementary school-aged children are invited to join instructor Amy VanDeVelde and learn how to help young children to think critically about the world around them. During the two-hour program, the audience will be introduced to examples of illogical thinking in our society, in current parenting styles, and in the lives of children, and then introduced to strategies that can encourage children to deal more objectively with information they receive from friends, peers and other situations.

Interested parents can register here.

‘Trouble Online: Campus Computing and the Law’, Feb. 10th in St. Charles

Learn how your Facebook and MySpace pages can come back to haunt you!
C. L. Lindsay, author, lawyer, nationally recognized expert and leader in the field of student rights and academic freedom will discuss these and other online issues.

• Noon, Wed.,  Feb. 10th
• Daniel J. Conoyer Social Sciences Building Auditorium, St. Charles Community College

“The Cartographer’s Dilemma”, Featuring GMLP Member Paul Guzzardo

You still have time to catch “The Cartographer’s Dilemma” at the Western Illinois University Art Gallery, in Macomb, Illinois, guest-curated by founding GMLP member, Paul Guzzardo, and his longtime associates, David Walczyk of the Pratt Institute School of Information and Library Science,  and Jesse Codling, a Seattle-based video/graphic artist.   It opened Jan 19 and continues through Feb. 18.

A passage in a story on the installation, in the  Jan. 26 Mcdonough County Choice newspaper, may prime would-be goers to this exhibit,  having asked these questions: “How does today’s “digital fog” of image and sound affect our civic identity? What are the tools one needs to navigate their way through the constant flood of technology and media?”

In this mostly interactive experience,  these guest curators and additional artists, Alan Brunettin, Emily Grothus and Jordan Morell,  show  us tools for constructing  a so-called 21^st-century map.   And, as Guzzardo quickly reminds anyone who asks about the show, “It’s a wake up call about  the nature of civic engagement.”

Certainly the artists add a media literacy dimension for contemplation, as we consider how technology and media fit into the  business, social and cultural landscapes.

Click here for more information and to view some multimedia portions of the exhibit.