Questions

• What is the internet?
• Have you been taught about internet safety?
• What are some examples of things that are okay to share online, and what are things that you should never share?
• What does it mean to be respectful and kind to others online? How can you practice good online etiquette?
• If you come across something online that makes you feel uncomfortable or scared, who can you talk to about it?
• What are your favorite online games or activities? Are there any rules you follow when interacting with others while playing online games?
• Is there anything you want to know about the internet or being online?

I enjoy creating both physical and digital photo albums. The best pictures go into beautiful memory albums, while the rest are neatly organized in digital collections by year for easy browsing and sharing.

I involve my family in capturing memories too. My child takes photos and videos, and it’s fascinating to see things from her perspective and see what she thinks is important during events. Passing around phones and cameras lets us capture moments from different angles and encourages well-rounded stories. When we gather as a family, sharing memories becomes more enjoyable with the help of photos and videos. They bring our stories to life, making our time together even more special.

Finding a balance between living in the moment and preserving memories brings us joy. With photos and videos, we create an album of cherished moments that will forever capture the memories that our family shares together.

This week we ventured to Wisconsin for the EAA Airventure show in Oshkosh. While in Wisconsins we took advantage of the other sites and opportunities that Wisconsin has to offer. This video is some of what we captured during our time there.

I am always seeking new and better ways to capture memories that don’t get lost forever. How do you and your family capture and share your most cherished memories?

Growing up, I always thought those who created content that was shared in the media were all professionals with extensive training who worked hard to have the privilege of sharing their content with the world. (Anyone else remember obsessing over the National Geographic magazines of the 1990s?)

However, in a world where the majority of people over the age of thirteen have a smart phone and use social media, media creation is at an all-time high. And as it turns out, no professional or extensive training is required.

Unfortunately, media literacy is not quite as prevalent.

According to The National Association for Media Literacy Education, “In a mediated world, all people are consumers and creators who deserve guidance on how to cultivate mindful, empowering relationships with media. 

What does this mean to me?

I’ve been fortunate enough to be trained in how to dissect and become media literate through formal education methods. Not everyone gets a step-by-step guide on how to create every type of social media account and how to properly create and post engaging content on them (thank you, MCO335).

My social media use is fairly limited, but I am constantly creating content for the organizations I work for (see my About page). Each organization has specific guidelines to ensure there is no confusion in the messaging, no matter the audience’s media literacy.

The biggest concern regarding media literacy in my life is actually with regard to my child’s media literacy. “Over the last decade, there has been a drastic increase in the amount of time children and youth are engaging with media, particularly digital media,” says Media Literacy Now, Inc.

Welcome to one of many ongoing challenges in my life!

As a parent, fostering a child’s creativity and desire to share content while also learning to navigate a child’s media literacy can be incredibly stressful. How are you supposed to know where to start?

I’m no expert, but this is what I am trying:

• Constant open communication regarding the content my child consumes
• Parental controls to minimize content too mature for them
• Regularly asking what they understand from what they saw or read
• Educating on what content is appropriate to create and share (Anyone else have children that want their own YouTube and TikTok accounts?)

The goal is to teach them to analyze and understand media while also consciously creating media. In essence, teaching them to be media literate in a creator’s world.

How are you integrating media literacy into content you or your child create? I’d love to hear your tips and tricks!