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Young People & Media

Imagine your day without a cell phone, ipod, no television or internet. . . The reality is that we are plugged into technology and media all day long, bombarded by images, sound bytes, and text messages. When we stop to examine what we are reading, watching, and listening to, what are the messages that we are really receiving and lessons we are learning? Are we using media or is the media using us (Wesch, 2008)?  Today, information and entertainment technologies communicate to us through a powerful combination of words, images, and sounds. Thus, to actively participate in society, we need to be able to read, review, reflect, and react to all media, both print and electronic. Media Awareness Network (2006) states, "Kids learn new technologies effortlessly, muti-tasking through a complex mix of sounds, graphics, text and images. They have become managers, creators and distributors of information." Media Savvy Kids is an academic elective designed to help build critical thinking skills. Throughout the semester you will have the opportunity to examine how mass media is constructed and produced, and discuss how mass media shapes our understanding of the world. We will focus on all aspects of the media including movies, television, song lyrics, the internet, and print media.

**Note to Students -**
 * You will be allowed to edit several pages. Feel free to add appropriate information, comments, opinions, & links.
 * Be respectful of other people's opinions, even if you don't agree with them.
 * I see EVERYTHING on this site.
 * All entries should be a minimum of three quality sentences in order to receive credit.
 * Do not add pages.

