{"id":21858,"date":"2022-12-04T18:16:19","date_gmt":"2022-12-04T17:16:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/media-and-learning.eu\/?p=21858"},"modified":"2022-12-07T09:36:50","modified_gmt":"2022-12-07T08:36:50","slug":"developing-democratic-dispositions-amongst-young-people-through-media-literacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/media-and-learning.eu\/type\/featured-articles\/developing-democratic-dispositions-amongst-young-people-through-media-literacy\/","title":{"rendered":"Developing democratic dispositions amongst young people through Media Literacy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

by Meredith Baldi & Prescott Seraydarian<\/strong>, George School, United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often measure democratic strength by the amount of votes cast. Indeed, there is cause for optimism in the United States seeing the increase in youth participation<\/a>, most notably in our recent midterm elections. But democracy is much more than casting a ballot. Voting is only one facet of democratic participation.  As educators, we strive to create the conditions for robust civic engagement, so we start by seeding democratic dispositions in our classrooms long before our students come of legal age to vote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Relationships are the Essence of Democracy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As explained so eloquently by Jeremy Engels (inspired by John Dewey) on the Democracy Works <\/em><\/a>podcast<\/a>, \u201cdemocracy starts on the grassroots, in our relationships with other people.\u201d Suggesting that participating in civic life is founded not on voting capacity, but instead in our ability to connect with others.  Engels continues by clarifying that the core questions of civic participation are \u201chow do we talk to other people? How do we engage with other people? How do we see other people? Do we welcome other people with different opinions and different voices and different perspectives into the conversation?\u2026How do we listen\u2026?\u201d If we want to teach students how to participate in civic life, we need to, more than anything, help them learn how to connect with others and be interested in others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

COVID-19 and its Impact on Relationships<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We teach a high school media literacy class called \u201cProducing Peace: Civic Media Literacy and Production.\u201d  In this class, we promote habits of communication that empower students to use media to connect with others to help them develop stronger notions of compassion, empathy and justice.  Ironically, our first year of teaching this class was in the fall of 2020, right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Our school community was reeling, and the students struggling to manage a year of remote learning.  It was no easy task to create connections and model productive communication at a time when isolation was public policy.  While researchers are still exploring the impact of the pandemic on our social networks, it is well noted that social connection is crucial for happiness and well-being.<\/a> Prolonged isolation took its toll on our relationships. It does not seem coincidental that in this time of fractured relationships, our democratic institutions are also in crisis.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Media Literacy as a Democratic Disposition<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To cope with this unprecedented social isolation, many used media to maintain and create relationships.  Noted by Psychiatric Times<\/a>, youth, who showed notable decreases in mental health and well-being during this time, turned to social media. For some, this was a positive coping mechanism and afforded them important connections and comfort during a difficult time.  However, for all the positives, we also saw an uptick in misinformation that exacerbated political polarization in our civic life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have to find a way to use the media to foster connection, especially in a world struggling to reconnect after COVID-19, while also navigating the challenges and division it can cause.  The stakes are high: we don\u2019t simply need to combat misinformation, we need to recover healthy relationships, and consequently, a healthy democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is where media literacy comes in. Media literacy can help develop democratic thinking at the grassroots level because its fundamental questions serve human connections and relationships. Media literacy is a powerful tool here for the way it responds to Engels\u2019 call to engage with other people, see them, hear them, consider perspectives other than our own.  In our perspective:<\/p>\n\n\n\n