A survey was conducted for students grades 4-12 in Maynard (Mass.) Public Schools by Gracie Gilligan for her senior project. She concluded that media literacy skills are not being acquired at home and are only briefly being brushed over in school. She notes that there are “still important areas for improvement.” A teacher at Maynard High School feels that students need to learn sourcing, critical thinking, bias, etc. as a part of the curriculum because of the bombardment of media that kids nowadays are exposed to. 

The majority of students do not know the difference between a trustworthy source and an untrustworthy source. I personally think that this needs to change, for research is such a prominent skill in our society, and students should not be misled while conducting their research. 

Some of the Maynard Public Schools have done a wonderful job, where they see a high rating of students having done a research project and have had in-class discussions about the benefits and harms of the media. 

I feel that this conducted research is proof that media should be a requirement for students because of the benefits media literacy carries. It teaches students what a good source is, how the media influences the population, how research is conducted, etc. Although I have written a few research papers in high school, COMM100 is the first class that has really taught me media literacy. Before this class, I did not exactly have a great understanding of what a good source was. The only thing I was ever taught was to try to stay away from Wikipedia, but beyond that anything was fair game. I was never truly able to identify a source as good or bad, and I feel that has stunted my learning, for I am now having to learn it on the fly as I take this course versus being taught it in high school where I could have had years of experience before coming to college. I think that K-12 institutions need to do better at teaching students media literacy before they graduate high school to better prepare them for college, especially in a day and age where being literate in terms of the media is a necessity to all.

Source (Published June 6, 2022): https://medialiteracynow.org/maynard-high-school-senior-class-project-uncovers-good-and-bad-news-on-media-literacy-education/

Here I am comprising a research study question about media for my COMM100 course. I wanted this topic to be specific to myself and things that I could do or change in my everyday life when it comes to media. My research question is as follows:

For college students, controlling for everyday use of technology, what is the relationship between use of electronics (i.e. smartphone, video games, television, radio, etc.) and proper sleep?

I chose this for my research question because in my brief time as a college student, I have come into many complications surrounding my sleep, and I want to fix this issue very much. I am a firm believer that proper sleep leads to a more productive way of living, and I just have not gotten that. I want to see if my electronic use has any effect on my sleep. I often find myself on my computer completing assignments up until maybe a half hour to an hour before I am going to bed at night, and I would like to learn if that (among other factors) is healthy for my sleep cycle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1W0Go-Z01z8 

Recently in class, we have discussed the difference in the ways that female sports reporters are treated from their male counterparts. I found this YouTube video where male athletes and fans have flirted with the female reporters, made them feel uncomfortable, and really have just mistreated them. Now imagine if these were male reporters. If the reporters were male, no disrespectful comments would be made about their bodies, their credibility, or their ability to do their job well. Women face hate that they do not deserve in the field of reporting. 

I believe that whoever is the most qualified for the position should be the one who gets the job. There are most definitely female sports reporters who are much more qualified than men in the same field. For example, look at Erin Andrews, a longtime reporter for ESPN, who did a wonderful job at covering the various sports as a sideline reporter. There have been stories over the years where athletes and fans alike have made her uncomfortable while she was reporting. Not only did this make her uncomfortable, it puts her in such a tough position because she is in front of a camera and is being monitored by the world on national television. 

Erin Andrews is not the only woman who has been forced to adhere to this poor behavior. The YouTube video above displays almost three minutes of instances where female reporters are put on the spot on camera. In the first clip, Aaron Rodgers is seen hitting on the reporter interviewing him. The questions she was asking him were in no way shape or form unprofessional, but the quarterback decided to take a step for the worst and put this reporter on a pedestal in front of the world. Not only do women get hit on, but they also are the recipients of countless hateful comments across many social media platforms. 

The video we watched the other day where mean tweets were read to the female reporters made me sick to my stomach. The comments being made towards these wonderful women who are just trying to do their job is not right. Just because they are not men does not mean that they cannot do just as well, and in a lot of cases better than men. Just because a female is showing up a male in what some think should be a job “for men” shows how immature some of our society is, and what are these immature beings accomplishing? Absolutely nothing. This needs to stop. Women belong in sports, and in every other job that a man does. If a woman performs better than a man at a job, then she should be the one who has the job over the man without any hate. I personally would rather a female who knows what she is talking about over a man who sort of knows what he is talking about, so please stop terrorizing women in the sportscasting business, they belong just as much as any man.

A picture I took of the movie Minions: Rise of Gru when I saw it in the theater on July 5th

As the highly anticipated Minions: Rise of Gru hits the theaters, people of all ages are rushing to the cinemas to watch. One group, however, is more exuberant than the rest: teenage boys/young adult men. They are going as far as wearing suits to the theater when they see the movie in response to the #GentleMinions across social media. In theory, it is a harmless act where fans of the franchise are expressing their excitement for a film, but the problem is that in some cases, movie theater etiquette is being broken, thus disrupting the whole flow of the theaters. 

By using the word “disruptive” I mean that these viewers are being obnoxiously loud, using their phones during the movie, blocking the field of view of some, and in some extreme cases, causing damage to the theater. This all is in the eyes of the theater, of course. 

I think that this trend is a very fun way to incorporate the movie for all ages. I may have some bias, for I actually participated in the trend a couple of days ago, but I think that as long as there is no damage or disruption, then it should be okay. I mean, when Spiderman: No Way Home released, there were people dressing up for the movie in character. Obviously this was not as mainstream as what is happening with the newest installment to the Despicable Me series, but it is eerily similar. I do not agree with the idea of trashing a movie theater for a social media trend, but if you are going to have a good time, enjoy the movie, and respect the idea that you are not the only ones watching the movie, then I’m all for it. 

This trend in my opinion is great for the boys who have grown up watching the series. I remember going to see the original Despicable Me with my family in the theaters, and I have loved every movie in the series. I am in the same shoes as all of these other guys that have grown up watching this, grown up fans, and have long awaited this movie since it was announced. 

This trend is also great for publicity for Illumination (the company that made the series), also showing them that their original audience is still die-hard for the series. Having people who have grown with the series now expands the target audience, allowing for the production teams to develop a wider variety of ideas to fit the larger audience–that is if they choose to add any future installments. 

Despite there being a minority of this mass group of trend-followers who are ruining it for others, the trend as a whole was set in good faith for the movie and has generated its fair share of laughs and has brought back nostalgia for the older generation fans. You can find the article here: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/minions-rise-of-gru-meme-gentleminions-1235175207/