What is Media Literacy?

Media Literacy is defined as having the ability to comprehend the vast motion of ideas through today's ever-changing Media. It is also the aptitude to use different means of communication to convey clear messages. Nowadays, it is almost impossible to encounter someone whose life has not been influenced by Media. Our daily activities depend on the use of technological devices. These activities range from writing a text for a night out with friends to using the web for the completion of a homework assignment. It is indeed remarkable the countless times per day we are drawn by obligation, or just by free will to use Media.

It is important to note just how many aspects of our lives are greatly influenced by Media. Education is a major one. Ninety percent of our studies in high school and in college depend on the use of the web for research. Every company or office has at least one phone line and uses computers for their day to day work. These same companies use advertising to promote their products and attract customers. Politics and social issues are all over the Media as well; politicians depend excessively on Media to reach their supporters. Entertainment, I would say, is the biggest industry affecting the Media today. Celebrities are on Television, magazines, websites etc. They, reciprocally rely on these media products to reach their fans.

Media Literacy has made our globe a much smaller place. Phone calls, text messaging and e-mailing allow people to communicate no matter the distance between them. Television, social networks and newspapers carry messages that reach whole nations. This is known as Mass Media. A recent example of this was after the break of the H1N1 epidemic in 2009. The news and updates on the matter touched the whole world on a daily basis. It was on the screen of every television, on the front page of every newspaper and the main topic of every conversation in most countries for months. It was a collective and global flow of a massive message. It would have been unthinkable however, to get through to such a great number of people without the fascinating technology present today.