Technology is evolving and changing rapidly. Technology is now part our daily life. Its advancement is always parallel in media. From accessing massive amounts of information on the internet to simply experiencing an enriched personal lifestyle, technology continues to benefit us day in, day out. Information can be transmitted at any time and it is spreading rapidly. Information can be delivered easily by the use of media and internet. Technology has also made communication easier. Earlier on, you had to send write a letter and so on. The recipient had to wait for days and even months. Nowadays, people normally use text messages and emails to pass important messages to colleagues and relatives. If you want to take photographs, you can take a digital camera and upload them directly to your PC. Once you are done, you can attach a copy to an email and send it off to the recipient. This way, you can actually share experiences with friends and relatives. It is undoubtedly true that technology is an important part of our daily lives. Life has become more convenient and enjoyable. Our lives had become easier than before.
Nowadays, most people have computers, laptops, tablets and even smartphones. These devices have made communication easier. Nowadays, you can browse the internet from anywhere, anytime. These devices have made life more enjoyable. There are many ways through which technology has made life easier but being a media user, we must be careful on using it. We must not just only take care of our gadgets or devices because we must be aware and be careful on how we use media and internet at the same time. Being a media and information literate requires respect and self- control. We must be careful on everything we say and post in social media. We must be responsible enough on every act that we are doing. Many media or social media users are actually illiterate and not responsible. Because of the freedom and liberty that we have, we tend to forget the right conduct and simple etiquettes that we must observe as a person. Most of the time, we are being abusive in the freedom that we have and sadly, we are not aware of it.
I, myself, actually had an experience of being bullied online. It was very hard for me because media is actually a portal and once you are engaged in social media, the whole world can see you and talk to you at any moment and wherever you are. I removed my social media life before because it is really killing me. But it do not just give negative insights in my life. It also allowed me to reach my relatives that are really far from me. That’s why I returned to my life in social media and it is always helpful for me as a student. It really helps a lot especially in doing home works, assignments, research and reaching or contacting my fellow students or classmates for brainstorming and engaging ideas when there are group reports or projects. It also became an entertainment for me and it really helped a lot. I can also be informed in the trending information, news, or new knowledge and information that I must know as an individual. I knew and had experienced the feeling of having a negative feedbacks from illiterate media users that is why being a literate media user has a huge factor of affecting other people and it also requires a great responsibility in any actions that an individual is doing.
Honestly, there was also a time that I also considered myself as an illiterate media user. There times that I made prank calls when I’m still young. I also became bully once. Because I had an experience of being bullied, I also tried to know the feeling of being a bully. It was actually fun posting your thoughts especially if your making laugh at someone. In that situation, I had realized that everything that I am doing is too much. I was too brave to say anything on the internet and online because it is just in social media and I am not talking to them in personal.
The value lies in your audience, ultimately. I think this role is critical as society shifts away from past sources and uses technology as a source instead. And, most importantly, it does not negate the human role. I think being a media and information literate individual has enormous value if one becomes a resource and a translator of current info into media or possesses a keen understanding of the info in the media and is able to work with others using or sharing info.
Aside from roles and responsibilities, being a media and information literate can actually able to develop or broaden a certain topic or idea from the information alongside internet. Being a media and information literate requires certain skills such as critical thinking. We must always know and take a look if the idea that we are transmitting is actually informative or educational. Instead of being the source of wrong information or being just a toxic media user, let us use media and the internet in the most appropriate and literate manner such as giving proper feedbacks, comments and ideas in a particular topic and spreading new knowledge and information that will be able to help and improve a certain idea or anything that will help our world. Information and media literacy enables people to interpret and make informed judgments as users of information and media, as well as to become skillful creators and producers of information and media messages in their own right. Therefore, being a media and information literate is actually so much helpful in our society and in this case, it will also help the progress of each individual’s abilities and the progress of our economic and social status. Social media has been part of economy medium especially in business marketing that’s why media literacy is really convenient.
As we study media and information literacy, let us grab and take this opportunity to really access ourselves and be exposed in the reality that media and information has a great factor that will affect the improvement or status of a person, community and a country’s development. This will train and help the progress of our personality, conduct and also skills that we can apply in our daily lives especially in our future. Let us be wise in every act, movement and decisions that we are going to do not just online. Let us be responsible enough so that we will be able to call ourselves as a media and information literate.
