TikTok has been the genesis of many trends with effects that surpass the interweb. Businesses, laws, and people’s lives have changed drastically since the rise of this app. But its latest buzzword can be an opportunity for a shift in how we engage with media.
What is the word on the street?
“Media Literacy” is not a new concept despite its rise in popularity on social media. The buzz around it stems from a viral TikTok video by @qbthedon. In it, he details what it is like in the classroom for today’s teachers. His video dared parents to answer the looming question "Why don't y'all know that your kids aren't performing on their grade level?"
Technology impacting how the education system operates is to be expected. But the fall of student efficiency is shocking. Where did reading skills go? Are the next generations doomed? No child is left behind, but are their parents?
These questions come down to what media literacy is. Media Literacy Now defines it as the ability to decode, access the influence and create media consciously. People all over should be able to break down and critically think about the media they consume for their safety. Social media has only enforced media consumption to an all-time high. We as humans have not evolved alongside it to combat this overexposure. The evidence of this is students not being able to read on their grade level, recognize misinformation, and engaging in harmful trends. As grim as the state of education is, there might be a solution.
Textbooks and long-form videos have proven to not hold the attention of current students. A different form of media can close the gap between distraction and learning. Comics can use storytelling in a way that is visual yet simultaneously promote reading. Giving the best of both worlds on the battleground of social media. The structure of sequential art allows certain subtleties and a linear progression of a subject.
Five Ways Comics Practice Media Literacy
Comics are told in a wide spectrum of styles and cultures. But there are five fundamental ways the medium practices media literacy.
Visual Literacy
Students gain the ability to understand facial expressions and symbolic meaning of colors. They will be able to put a face to a name and recognize body language. Understanding the passage of time and the space of an environment can help students engage in the world off paper.
Critical Thinking & Drawing Inferences
Comics are separated into panels. The space between panels is called the gutters. The gutters provide all readers a chance to use their imagination and connect dots. Students will be able to use context clues and follow chronological development of situations. These skills are useful for problem solving as they grow.
Patience
Although comics vary in length, they are easy and quick to read. But since this is still a literary medium, students do have to slow down to process the art and words. This easing of consumption completely contrasts with the fast-paced videos of social media. Providing students’ brains time to relax from constant overstimulation. Overall leading to better academic performance.
Neuron Coupling
When engaging with stories in any form, our brains begin to mimic their structure. An example of this is in how schools handled bullying in the 2010s. During that time, telling students to report bullying was not effective. Many victims fell by the wayside and their stories were silenced. But with the new anti-bullying movement, many films were created to better connect with students. And so, they did. This way of alchemizing fiction is how many messages are conveyed and easily received. That is why we have a rise in influencer culture as well. Comics work differently than videos as they are condensed to a page. This gives a way to carefully curate what lessons students learn and their amount of reading without losing engagement.
Exercising Empathy
Students are developing beings. They are learning how to regulate their emotions, balance their movements, and interact with others. Children also need a way to also understand the nuances of people outside of themselves. Comics are perfect because they give you a way to connect with all the characters on the page. Where other mediums may lack in character depth, comics do not have a choice. Each artist and writer are given a strict page limit. Meaning every panel must count to perfectly tie together a complete story. Like no child left behind, no connection left behind.
Adding Comics to The Classroom
Schools focus on decor and learning materials that promote vitality and radiance. But the higher the age group, the more monotone they become. It’s an attempt to add professionalism to the student body but it falls short. Life doesn’t become grim with adulthood instead it opens up to the vastness of the world. Adding comics to classrooms on all grade levels keeps the creative edge needed to survive adulthood. While also shaping the new adults to engage in wellness, leadership, and community building. To truly leave no child left behind, they need the important skill of media literacy to push forward.
A great start to this initiative is to begin at home. If you’re a parent or have growing students in your life, Midnight Comics is the starter comic universe for you. Midnight Comics aims to represent the underrepresented by publishing amazing diverse stories. Their catalogue includes Egyptian mythology, sci-fi, and much more.
To get your kid out of the doom scrolling and inspired to craft their own life, visit Midnight Comics here to download a free comic now.
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