Though they are by no means the only factor, media representations of weight and body shape are a major element in body image concerns. Media of all kinds frequently promote weight stigma, most often representing weight as an individual responsibility.[1] Time spent on social media and watching television[2] and exposure to manipulated photos on social media[3] have all been linked to negative body image or increased concern with appearance.
Probably the most essential factor in accurately and objectively judging health and science information is to understand how science is done.
The Manitoba Mathematics curriculum includes digital and media literacy expectations at several grade levels, mostly in connection with an representations of probability and statistics in the media.
Broaden your news diet. Probably the most important thing you can do is make sure that you’re not only getting news that confirms what you already believe. At the same time, it’s important not to “overcorrect” and seek out sources that have a totally opposite bias from yours, which will almost certainly just make you angry and reinforce your current opinions. Instead, find sources from a more moderate, different point of view.
The British Columbia Mathematics curriculum has a number of expectations relating to digital and media literacy, primarily in connection with financial literacy and probability. Select a grade level under Mathematics for a list of media-related outcomes and links to supporting resources from the MediaSmarts site. (Note: as many of our lessons can be adapted to suit different grade levels, specific lessons may be listed for more than one grade.
There are several challenges in identifying evidence-based best practices in media education: first, because most evaluations compare media literacy interventions either to a control group or to another intervention not based on media literacy; second because, as noted above, there is often a mismatch between what a program is teaching and the results it is measuring. As a result, “empirical evidence of best pedagogical practice, as opposed to self-testimony or retrospective reporting, is scarce”[1]; in other words, while we can say generally that media literacy works, it is difficult to say precisely which elements of media literacy programs work better than others.
The British Columbia Career Education curriculum includes a number of media and digital literacy expectations in both the Curricular Competencies and Content, particularly relating to the Personal Development and Connections to Community strands.
In the Saskatchewan Social Studies curriculum, digital media literacy is found in outcomes including Interactions and Independence, Dynamic Relationships, Power and Authority and Resources and Wealth.
In the Nova Scotia Visual Arts curriculum, media literacy outcomes are included under the general outcomes requiring students to demonstrate an awareness and appreciation of art as a lifelong process.
Click on a grade level under Visual Arts for a list of media-related outcomes and links to supporting resources from the MediaSmarts site. (Note: as many of our lessons can be adapted to suit different grade levels, specific lessons may be listed for more than one grade. Teachers should also note that individual lessons often satisfy a number of learning outcomes.)
Watching TV or streaming video should be a fun and relaxing activity for kids and adults alike—but too often it's a source of family conflict. If you're concerned about television, banning it isn't a practical solution. Instead, you need to learn to co-exist with television by managing how much your kids watch, and what. With more and more ways of viewing TV available we now have access to lots of both good quality and inappropriate TV content. In this crowded television environment, the key is to provide young children with a guided viewing experience and to model and teach them the critical thinking skills they need to be active, engaged viewers.