A Study on Culture and Media Information Literacy of High School Students of Tripura, India

Abstract

Media is capable to influence the minds of youth. Youth see the world through the world of Music, TV, computer games, magazines and other media, an impact that forms many behavioral and habitual aspects from their childhood. To be engaged and critical media consumers, kids need to develop skills and habits of media literacy. These skills include being able to access media on a basic level, to analyze it in a critical way based on certain key concepts, to evaluate it based on that analysis and, finally, to produce media oneself. This process of learning media literacy skills is media education. Empowerment of people through Media and Information Literacy is an important prerequisite for fostering equitable access to information and knowledge and promoting free, independent and pluralistic media and information systems. Media literacy is the capability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media. Media literate youth and adults are better able to understand the complex messages we receive from television, radio, Internet, newspapers, magazines, books, billboards, video games, music, and all other forms of media. Media literacy is, first and foremost, a critical thinking skill that is applied to the source of most of the information we receive: the channels of mass communication. However, for a variety of reasons that will be discussed later in the chapter, we often blindly accept the information that we receive through the media--with disastrous results. We develop brand loyalties that have little to do with the quality of the product. We take the word (or pictures) of journalists to provide us with a clear understanding of our world. And we vote for candidates on the basis of “gut reactions” to political spots devised by clever political media consultants. The proposed study intends to seek how culture is related to media literacy and how far the status of media information literacy among High School students is bringing a convergence of old and new media.