Liceans: Media-wise Users

This blog contains information and posts that are related to the application of being a media and information literate.

[liceansasmedia-wiseusers]

“The Setbacks of Piracy”

While strolling to the Cogon Market, my brother saw a stand that sells pirated CDs. I stared at him, but my mind was already mumbling about how illegal these types of businesses are. He bought a lot of CDs, and I mentally computed how much will it cost if he will snap up the real one. When we came home, we planned to watch the CDs that we’ve purchased. The first parts seemed fine. We disregard the quality of the film and the watermark because who cares anyway. In the middle part, the CD stopped playing, and our player suddenly created a buzzing noise. We immediately stopped the movie and turned off the CD player. My mother ranted about how bad the producer was on that movie for having such a low-quality film and wrong angle. I explained to her that it was just a pirated copy of the original work.

From the situation above, we can conclude that the setbacks of piracy are not only the loss of profit or monetary gain, the negative effect on the career of the artists, or losing their exclusive copyrights, but it also includes the negative impressions of the viewers towards the creators of the films caused by the counterfeit copies of movies. Piracy can degrade the reputation of the movie maker in the eyes of viewers who will see those ugly made copies. The worst setback is when people become so spoilt and have been conditioned to use something illegal. According to Kompisiana, this causes a downturn in the interest of the community to the original product and prefers to choose pirated products which are far cheaper than the original one. One should remember that when you break a law, you will be responsible to face the penalties. Being punished because of choosing the pirated one over the real one is not a smart move. So, think twice. Stop piracy and support the original creators.

[liceansasmedia-wiseusers]

“Digital Divide: Its Implications and Ways to Bridge the Gap as a Student”

The internalization of data technology in learning has radically shifted society especially to those people who can acquire the services. On the contrary, those who cannot obtain these services continue to be within the dark, remaining stagnant. This led to a brand-new layer within the society. The large disparity in access to information and communication technology adversely affected the education sector. The impact of this disparity can be felt in all aspects of our life. There’s no specific definition for the digital divide. This split has a huge scope, ranging from the technological disparity in the economy to education. But some things are certain. This digital split revealed the real situation that we have at present. There is inequality in physical access to technology and imbalances in resources needed to effectively participate as a digital citizen. As a student, let us reflect and remember the school scenarios where the digital divide is present.

Conducting research is part of the K-12 curriculum and of course, the basic device that the students can rely on is their laptops and a stable internet connection. Although we are studying in a private school, not all of us are privilege enough to buy our own laptops. Some of us don’t have smartphones. Others only have a keypad cellphone. Some of us rely on free Wi-Fi. There are times when the teachers require us to do some research online and some of my classmates just stare at my other classmates who has an access to the internet while we just sit there and wait for someone to let us borrow their phones. It is devastating to see students struggle just to catch up with the new means of learning. As a student, I know their struggle that is why I have my own ways to bridge the gap of this digital divide. I let my classmates use my laptop especially during reporting, presentations, or doing their research because there are instances that the library is fully occupied. Sometimes, if I brought my Wi-Fi modem to school, I let my classmates connect as long as it is for educational purposes. I know that these are just little ways to help bridge the gap but a simple step could make a huge difference. If only everyone will do the same, we can surpass the challenges brought by the digital split.

[liceansasmedia-wiseusers]

“Understanding the Relevance of Information Literacy in the Midst of Social Era”

The amount of data we generate every day is truly baffling. According to Forbes, there are 2.5 quintillion bytes of data created each day at our current pace, but that pace is only accelerating with the growth of the Internet of Things (IoT). With so much information at our fingertips, we’re adding to the data accumulation every time we turn to our search engines for answers. The transmission of these pieces of information is made easier in our present generation. The social era paved the way for a seemingly endless hype of obtaining and sharing data. Subsequently, the channeling of information is often overlooked. At present, people undoubtedly accept what is being served without even identifying, evaluating, or analyzing the pieces of information. Why is that? Is it because we are assured that the data we obtained from social media is reliable? Or we weren’t able to understand the relevance of having information literacy to the social era that we have right now?

As we scroll through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google, and other digital platforms we obtained information which is the main element of social change. Therefore, information literacy and the social era are intrinsically connected in a way that being an information literate individual is a need to absorb the relevant pieces of information and to dispense it, enabling us to connect things, people, and ideas. When an individual knows how to find, identify, evaluate, apply, and acknowledge info he or she will be able to absorb and use it in making sense of both the academic and non-academic world. Remember, the social era is more than the media. It is focused on the sharing of interests and goals. Therefore, how we understand and interpret information should be closely scrutinized to avoid misconceptions or misinformation. With this, we will be able to create ways to cater to our needs and engage in life-long learning.

[liceansasmedia-wiseusers]

Performance Task : Editorial Cartooning

The editorial cartoon depicts the reality of Philippine Media. It portrayed the two-way relationship between the government and the media where the press is continuously striving to deliver the truth for the citizens to be informed and educated about the real situation of the administration. While the government is on the move to grab or get a hold of the press and conceal the truth, ironically, they need the assistance of media to carry out their 'duties'.

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“Media and Government: A Love-Hate Relationship”

The media in the Philippines are often remarked upon as being the freest in Asia. (Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility). But in today's time, the cases of media-killings and the shutdown of some media institutions are proof that the freedom of expression is being suppressed. This emanated the start of the dispute between the media and the government. Why is the government agitated by the media? And why does the media hate the government? The media serves as either a support or a watchdog of government functionality. One of the main objectives of the media is to inform the public about what is going in and out of government. The relationship between the two is a two-way street. It’s either to elevate or to unmask. The media has the power to elevate the reputation of the government by releasing positive news and to call out or expose their incompetence.

Think about this, the present government despises media criticisms pushing them to take matters into their own hands just to suppressed the media. But isn’t it sardonic how the government wants a compliant media at the same time? Every time the media tries to expose the real shady side of the government: the anomalies, the system issues, or the hidden agendas, those who are in power itch for the shutting down of the press to conceal the real situation. For instance, online media platforms have become the venue for a more critical and alternative brand of journalism that the government seems to be worried about in recent years but take advantage of this to execute their black propaganda, strengthen their political campaign, and popularize their selves; showing their accomplishments and the public services that they provided. All of these are common scenarios in the political world. To hate and to love is part of ensuring transparency and good governance.

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“The Value of Being a Media and Information Literate Individual”

As I was scrolling through my Facebook timeline, I saw a controversial news article about priests having a party inside the church while having the mass. I clicked the article and I found out that the article is just a troll made for entertainment. But the fact that the layout seems to be legit is alarming. The format of the fake news site is similar to the format of the Philippine Inquirer. If an illiterate audience will read the news, he or she won’t be able to tell what’s the difference between the real one and the fake one. Now let’s talk about the content of that fake news article. The article is blasphemy in nature, pure disrespect. I am not trying to be holy here, but don’t you think that it is alarming how we tend to normalize these jokes and just regard them as part of the entertainment?

If you are a student who learned about the concepts and values of being media and information literate and you find that article normal, then you are not absorbing the essential values. The application of values kicks in every time we use the media platforms. These values go beyond learning and acquiring knowledge, helping you analyze and comprehend information, and being able to think critically. Literate individuals should pay attention to becoming a media-wise user and use their literacy skills to promote a healthy media environment, use the different platforms to address social issues, educate toxic users, engage in online discourse, and provide informative, educational, and inspirational content. As a student, it is not enough to only know the value, like knowing should be paired with the application. The application is paired with responsibilities. Attaining real value means carrying out responsibilities. All of these are intrinsically connected like a series.