Digital Media Literacy: School Survival Guide

The article discusses the gender barriers and discrimination that women face when they participate in the gaming industry and video game culture

More women now than then are playing video games but there are still barriers to diversity and equality in the video game industry

Women make up 11.5% of the industry workforce, with only 10-12% of this group employed in executive or creative roles.

Women earn an average of $9,000 less than their male counterparts, even with equivalent tenure in the industry

The image of the “hard-core” male gamer remains one of the most persistent barriers.

Research on the game play of girls has advanced considerably, and there is hope that evidence from these studies may convince game publishers to change their design and marketing plans.

For example, studies show that girls prefer games that support problem-solving or feature multiple ways to win; narratives about difficult situations relevant to their lives rather than vast, epic struggles; and games that allow them explore identities and relationship (“What Games Made by Girls Can Tell Us,” 131). A number of chapters in this volume also describe the efforts of academics to partner with designers to create games which can appeal to girls, develop their sense of self-efficacy, and help them learn programming and other STEM skills.

For example, women seem to have thrived in the “sandbox” environment of the Sims series of games–women comprise about half of the players in the series, and many are contributing user-generated content which requires sophisticated graphics and programming skills. Yet it is also tempting for marketers to construct this success as proof that women have a relatively narrow range of preferences.

Examining player motivations may be equally essential to the task of persuading publishers to expand rather than constrict the options of female players.

In “Are Boy Games Even Necessary?” designer and scholar Nicole Lazzaro takes this argument into the realm of market research. She outlines four “Fun Keys,” broad areas of appeal in which the motivations of male and female players largely overlap, and argues that these are far more predictive of appeal to players than demographic segmentation: “There is more going on in best-selling titles than fighting and violence. . . .emotions such as fiero(Italian for personal triumph over adversity), curiosity, and relaxation are found in abundance in hit game experiences whether it is a shooter like Halo or a match-3 game like Bejeweled”(209). According to Lazzaro, if game publishers want to expand their prospects beyond the over-saturated “hard-core” market, they’ll need to design games which provide diverse play-style opportunities for all players.

Beyond Barbie and Mortal Kombat and the Gendered Identity of Video Games. (n.d.).

Kafai, Yasmin B., et al, eds. Beyond Barbie and Mortal Kombat: New Perspectives on

Gender and Gaming. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2008.

Salen, Katie, ed. The Ecology of Games: Connecting Youth, Games and Learning. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2008.http://www.medialit.com/

Article TitleCenter for Media Literacy: Empowerment through Education: CML MediaLit Kit ™: | Empowerment through Education

In “The Earth Song” by Michael Jackson, Michael Jackson highlights the importance of saving and protecting our environment; he also emphasizes animal welfare. We are carelessly endangering nature, animals, and the homes of those animals with our destructive ways; we destroy ecosystems and do nothing to advocate or emphasize rebuilding or saving our dying planet. In his music video, Michael Jackson shows various locations such as the Amazon Rainforest, a war zone in Croatia, and Tanzania where it shows illegal poaching. He uses elements of Advocacy, Collaboration, and Integrity to voice concerns about deforestation, pollution, and other negative elements to emphasize that humans are the force that are destroying our environment while also saying that we are the force that can stop this destruction to our planet. At the end of the video, there is a request for donations for Jackson’s Charity Heal the World Foundation. “The Earth Song” highlights these elements while advocating for change and world healing.

Jackson, Michael. “The Earth Song”. Youtube. Chappell, Warner. MJJ Productions. 27 November 1995. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAi3VTSdTxU

Earlier today, President Donald Trump made tweets that criticized FBI Director Christopher Wray for spying on his political campaign back in 2016. Claims of illegal surveillance, security camera and spies set Trump on edge as he claims an invasion of privacy and an even bigger hoax that ruined his popularity amongst Americans during election season in 2016.

His claims that the Scam Investigation, Mueller Report, and every other surveillance set up was a hoax which lessens his credibility as a President. These tweets reflect the unreasonable and suppressed anger that Trump tweets as his lies further and further; these tweets were sent as he was vacationing with family at his Florida estate, Mar-a-largo.

….”This is the biggest political crime in American History, by far,” Trump tweets.

He criticized the FBI for influencing the results of the election and claims that this may have affected with his initial impeachment burden early on in 2019.

Course Objectives

Course Overview

This class aims to help you become media literate, and develop an understanding of how media content influences everyone, and how you, in turn, can influence others. Students will discuss the importance of multiple points of view, and learn to identify (U.S.) media’s powerful leanings towards commercialism, individualism, and other cultural ideologies. Additionally, students will examine the use of digital media in all forms of communication.

Students will also learn how to identify a niche, curate stories in social media (solo and in teams); and build a following on deadline using multimedia tools and platforms while upholding professional and ethical standards.