MediaSmarts Tags - Music

Note: this is the second in a series of columns looking at the history and future of Web 2.0.

In the last instalment of this series we examined the origins of the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) ethic and some of the issues around the definition of “user-created content.” Turning from the theoretical to the practical, we'll now take a look at just what is actually out there, and begin to examine some of the ethical and legal implications.

Note: this is the second in a series of columns looking at the history and future of Web 2.0.

Level(s): Grades 8 - 9

I feel like such an old lady when I’m listening to the radio sometimes. When I’m in the car with my husband we often find ourselves having the I Can’t Believe What Kids Are Listening to These Days conversation, one that often ends with me hitting the OFF button in disgust.

Someone encountering the Internet for the first time might be forgiven for assuming it was created specifically for teenagers. Indeed, the Internet could reasonably be said to have been aging backwards since its birth – the domain first of scientists and the military, then of university students in the 1990s and now children and teenagers.

In this special guest blog, MNet intern and University of Ottawa criminology graduate Aaron Bawn looks at the importance of music to youth identity.

Broaden your kids' musical tastes by exposing them to different kinds of music: jazz, classical, folk, country, blues, show tunes, etc., through recording and live concerts. Show them how the music they enjoy didn't develop in a void, but is a culmination of many different earlier musical influences. If your kids like music videos, watch with them and use violent or sexist content as starting points for discussing gender stereotyping and media violence.

In this special guest blog, MNet intern and University of Ottawa Communications MA candidate Anton van Hamel looks at how pop stars' images are tailored to different audiences.

Which of these girls looks older?

How about these two?

What about these two?

Level: Grades 9 - 12

Author: Defining Popular Culture is part of a three-lesson unit created by Robert Peregoodoff.

Overview

Level: Grade 6

Author: This unit was created by J. Craig Oliphant as part of a Media Education course taught by John Pungente, S.J. at the Faculty of Education, University of Toronto.

Overview