Peaceful Solutions - Media Literacy

Introduce the Topic

Try this "vote with your feet" exercise. On one wall, place a large sign that says "agree." On the opposite wall, post another that says "disagree." Tell participants that for each statement you read, they should move to a spot that indicates their opinion -- i.e., by agree, by disagree, or somewhere in between. This will provide a visual "sense of the group."

Here are four suggested statements (you may think of others). Read one at a time. Move quickly. Allow time for everyone to look over the distribution of the group, but hold further discussion until after the video.

Kids enjoy violence on television and in the movies.
Television and movie violence desensitizes viewers to real-life violence.
Television and movie violence has serious effects on young people.
Limits should be placed on violence shown on television and in movies.

Explain that the video features a program designed to help students become aware of their viewing habits and think critically about media violence. Ask participants to consider the statements they just responded to as they watch the video.

Discuss:

the above statements now that they've seen the video;
the amount of time young people spend watching television and its effects on them;
the activity in which students logged and averaged weekly viewing time;
documented effects of media violence:
1) aggressiveness and anti-social behavior;
2) fear of becoming a victim;
3) desensitization to violence and its victims; and
4) appetite for violence.
ratings for movies and television.

Questions

1. What do you think students learn about our culture from the violent stories in the media?

2. Do you view violent programs differently depending on whether the source is "art" or "trash"? How do you judge the difference?

3. Many students in the video say that they like violence on television and in the movies. How, if at all, do you relate these responses to their developmental stage?

4. As the students in the video watch the clip from The Drop Zone, how do they appear to be affected by what they see? Is there a difference between their affective response and what they say about the clip?

Try It Out

1. Evaluate It

Show workshop participants one or more clips from movies that contain scenes of graphic violence. (Possible choices are Robocop, Pulp Fiction, Die Hard.) Discuss their possible effects on viewers.

2. No-TV Week

A number of schools have successfully run sessions in which students and their families pledge to watch no television for a week. Students then discuss and evaluate the experience. Interested participants might want to set up such an event for their students.

Take It Further

Brainstorm activities that could help students acquire media literacy -- the ability to view the media analytically and critically.