Kids must learn media literacy

Through media exposure, our children view multiple acts of violence each week. They feel pressured to act and look older than they are. The values, behaviors and thinking they discover through TV, movies and online may be vastly different from what they learn at home. And yet, they feel enormous pressure to identify with and accept a youth culture created by media — and to buy the products associated with it.

It’s not as easy as turning off the TV. Media surrounds us every day, from computers to billboards to commercials at movie theaters. We adults make decisions about what and how much media we use and what is fake or not. Our children need to learn how to do this, too, just as they learn math, spelling and other skills that will enable them to succeed in life.

As a parent, educator and a member of the New Mexico chapter of Media Literacy Now, I believe that a school curriculum inclusive of media literacy will ensure that our students have an opportunity to develop critical thinking skills in this area.

Please join me in writing or calling our state legislators this legislative session, asking that we give our state’s children a chance to develop media literacy skills as part of their total education. House Memorial 49 calls for a study committee to hold a hearing on media literacy and best practices and to request the Public Education Department and local school districts develop best practices regarding media literacy. PAMELA PEREYRA NM Chapter Chair, Media Literacy Now!