Media Literacy Education, also known as MLE, is the study of decoding messages being conveyed by media. It has become important as growing populations are able to access social media and receive or create messages through different platforms. A report studying how adolescents receive messages conveyed by a commercial before and after receiving MLE training showed that young adults have a better understanding of gender stereotypes and masculinity built by commercials after they receive MLE training (Sharrer, et al).
There are five key questions created by MLE that we should ask when receiving information on social media, and we can practice it on one of the advertisements created by DOVE.
#1 Who created this message?
DOVE is a company that sells skincare products and they are famous for their cleaning bar.
#2 what creative techniques are used to attract my attention?
This advertisement portrays a girl who’s editing her selfies and reversing the process seems like undoing all the editing which shows the girl’s natural look. Photoshop is closely related to my personal life and other posts I receive on social media, so I felt a sense of familiarity. Furthermore, the message it tries to convey is something that I can agree with.
#3 How might different people understand this message differently than me?
Those who identified themselves not as women, might feel less related and wonder about the purpose of this advertisement because this advertisement typically depicted a girl.
#4 What lifestyles, values and points of view are represented in; or omitted from, this message?
The advertisement tries to omit the point that even pre-mature girls are under pressure from social media’s influence, and this is something people should be aware of. The advertisement also tries to make people reflect on beauty standards.
#5 why is this message being sent?
This message is being sent because it could make the receiver reflects on beauty standards as a topic. Moreover, sharing a positive value helps to rise their brand recognition and gain loyalty from their consumers.
What can we gain by doing critical thinking with advertisements?
Through asking these questions, it helps us to reflect on whether the content in an advertisement is targeting our values and beliefs to sell their product, and whether we, as receivers are influenced by advertisements that changed our behavior. It can also help us to think critically when receiving advertisements so that we don’t just accept everything that we see.
You can also go to this blog to check out the concepts of MLE: https://www.edutopia.org/blog/social-media-five-key-concepts-stacey-goodman
Bibliography:
- Scharrer, Erica, et al. “Tough Guys and Trucks: Early Adolescents’ Critical Analysis of Masculinity in a TV Commercial.” International journal of communication [Online], vol. 16, Feb. 2022, pp. 1594+. Gale Literature Resource Center, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A699363152/GLS?u=east55695&sid=bookmark-GLS&xid=255c5d77. Accessed 8 Nov. 2022.
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