Current Status of Media Literacy Education for Children

Abstract

Media literacy education originated in the 1930s in developed Western countries, emerging from the educational philosophies of British scholars and Danish workers. Since the latter half of the 20th century, media literacy education has gradually gained popularity in Europe, North America, Oceania, Latin America, and parts of Asia, becoming a new subject in teaching. In China, the introduction of media literacy education began relatively late. However, in the digital age, children are exposed to media at an increasingly younger age, and how they interpret, critique, and resist societal and cultural manipulation in new media environments, maintain cultural independence, and flexibly respond to various information impacts has become a topic of social concern. Under such social premises, how to cultivate children's media literacy in education, and what the contents and goals of media literacy education should be, have become focal points. Therefore, this paper discusses the objectives, current status, and methods of media literacy education.