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Media awareness in the age of new media: A case study of Primary 4 students in Hong Kong Donna Chu Sam Chu1 The Chinese University of Hong Kong The University of Hong Kong Shatin, N.T. Hong Kong Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong [email protected] [email protected] ABSTRACT Internet is not exactly a new media to the new generation. This study examined media use and media awareness for They literally ―grow up digitally‖ (Tapscott, 1998) or, to be Primary 4 students from four schools in Hong Kong more precise, are ―born digitally.‖ (equivalent to Grade 4 in America) and how well their teachers understood their habits of and preferences for In view of such influences, the importance and benefits of media use. The media awareness and media use patterns of media education have long been advocated (e.g. Lusted, students with regard to newspapers, television programmes, 1994; Tyner, 1992; Considine, 1995; McBrien, 1999). radio channels and the Internet were investigated. Results Media and education are brought together in two different showed that, these students, despite being the new scenarios: education through the media or education about generation of the new media still believed that the news the media. In the former scenario, the media is used as a from television, radio and newspapers are more reliable. In tool to facilitate teaching. In the latter scenario, the study of addition, they were found to be more proactive media users the media has become a subject in the curriculum. than their teachers thought. They were more content- Moreover, previous research studies, advocating either of oriented in choosing a particular newspaper or TV channel the scenarios, addressed mainly issues on students‘ use of instead of being influenced by their teachers and parents. the media, students‘ understanding of media implications The teachers were also not able to make very accurate and its influence, what is to be taught about the media, as predictions of their students‘ skills in media evaluation. The well as teachers‘ reconciliation on media choices and findings suggested that more contextual and in-depth preference. Yet very little is known about young children in approaches are needed to assess the students‘ media use the context of media education as the participants of most patterns, from which relevant media education models can studies were high school students (e.g. Leung, 2003; 2007; be derived. Chu, 2010). In such a complex new media environment, parents, educators and the society are anxious about the Keywords influence of the media on our digital natives. More Media awareness, media education, primary education, new specifically, they are concerned about how to educate media, Hong Kong students to master the rapid development in the new media. As such, what children know about the media, how they INTRODUCTION choose among the different media, how they evaluate the In the era of information explosion, the media has remained credibility of the media, and how well the teachers know the major source to deliver knowledge and information. The about children‘s media consumption have become media is ubiquitous and immensely powerful and has been important questions to ask in this domain. This paper considered to be a major agent of socialization for today‘s attempts to fill these gaps by studying the media awareness children. With technological advancements, the media has and evaluation of primary students. penetrated into the lives of the new generation. Apart from traditional media like television and the radio, the Internet has become one of the most influential media. Indeed, the 1 ASIST 2010, October 22–27, 2010, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. Other co-authors include Nicole Tavares (The University of Hong Kong, [email protected]), Felix Siu (The University of Hong Kong, [email protected]), Ken Chow (Principal of Sacred Heart Canossian School, [email protected]), and Shun Yee Ho (The University of Hong Kong, [email protected]). 1 In Hong Kong, there were limited studies on media use and LITERATURE REVIEW usage patterns of young people and the studies conducted Media education and media literacy often focused on teenage students (e.g. Leung, 2003; 2007; In this informational age, the media and schools remain Chu, 2010). Little is currently known about primary school major social institutions that are closely related to the students‘ media behavior, but it is generally agreed that notion of information. In the promotion of media education, children at the age of as early as seven are able to make a for example, advocates often begin with the premise that certain degree of distinction and judgment when it comes to the media has become increasingly powerful in our media choices (Buckingham, 2003). Thus, their media everyday lives (Bazalgette, Bevort & Savino, 1992; Kubey, education and usage patterns are worth investigating. 1997; Trend, 1994; Tyner, 1998). The media constitutes a subject matter for study at school. Literature shows that in Media education in Hong Kong order for media education to be promoted in schools, When Hong Kong was still a British colony, the colonial gaining its acceptance is crucial. One of the strategies most government had worked hard to ensure that schools did not media educators advocate is the concept ofmedia literacy. promote ―subversive ideologies‖. Students were expected to They were able to associate the movement of promoting learn only remote and abstract knowledge. Sensitive, media education with positive attributes brought about by controversial and local issues were excluded from the media literacy. Hence, the rhetoric of introducing media curriculum (Morris, Kan & Morris, 2000). However, Lee education included arguing that media literacy is an and Mok (2007) believe that the development of media essential life skill (Kubey & Baker, 1999; Lee, 1997), and education does not have much to do with the handover of that media literacy can empower young people (Thoman, sovereignty. Instead, the dissatisfaction of media 1995). Media literacy is as also believed to be a vital performance and the undergoing education reforms are the component in democracy education (Tyner, 1992). two major causes which offered an opportunity for media Considine (1994) argued that media literacy nurtured educators to promote media education. higher-order critical thinking skills. The conclusion would often be one that schools should waste no time in On the one hand, media education can equip students with introducing media education into their curriculum. Many enough media literacy to judge the credibility of the news writers have indicated that media education has become a consumed from the media (Lee & Mok, 2007). On the other global movement in the past three decades (Brown, 1998; hand, one of the goals of the education reforms is to Hart, 1998; Lee, 1997; Kubey, 1998; Kubey & Baker, enhance students‘ critical and independent thinking skills, 1999). Earlier proponents of media education, such as as well as promote creativity (Education Commission, Murdock et al. (1973), have urged teachers to take a more 2000). Thus, media education has its place in the new liberal and tolerant attitude towards students' media curriculum because it can help students become preferences and use. Stevens (2001) recalled how independent and critical learners (Lee, 2007). ―pragmatic teachers‘ instincts‖ affected her media teaching. Media education was officially mentioned in the agenda of In other words, teachers' perception of children‘s media use the Curriculum Development Council (Curriculum matters in both the teaching and learning of the mass media. Development Council, 2000), but how media education is to be incorporated into the current curriculum is yet to be Changing use of the media and changing generations explored. For example, Chu (2009) studied an experiential The changing patterns of media use in the new media age model of media education in Hong Kong primary schools has been studied by many scholars. Compared to the and discussed how media education should be taught. traditional media, one of the main characteristics of the new Nevertheless, research studies in media education are still media, especially the Internet, is the active role of media limited. users. They are no longer media consumers but active prosumers. For example, media users play a more active RESEARCH METHODS role through blogging or they can upload videos onto This study was part of a wider project on inquiry project- websites like YouTube. The interaction between media based learning for primary students. In the project, four users is also enhanced by social networking sites such as primary schools were invited to implement a collaborative Facebook and Twitter (Chu, 2010). The Internet may also teaching approach to inquiry project-based learning with promote collective behavior by providing a public space for Web 2.0 at upper primary levels. Previous studies have people to gather. For instance, YouTube can be used as a shown that it is essential to equip students with knowledge platform and a cultural public sphere for people to have fun and skills to gather and process information from different (Chu, 2009). The new media generation — the younger sources such as the Internet and newspapers during the generation – who grew up with the Internet, may not inquiry process (Chu, 2009; Chu, Chow & Tse, 2011), and however see this new media as ―new‖ because this may just media literacy has been identified as one of the essential be perceived to be their mundane forms of communication skills for students to master. The first author presented a (Buckingham, 2008). How our younger generation uses the workshop on media education to the teachers in the four media is thus an important topic to be studied. participating schools to introduce concepts in media 2 education to them and to promote the incorporation of recall the names of different media for answering these media education into their teaching scheme.

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