Digital Media Literacy: Why Character Matters This presentation was given at the C3 Technology Conference at LMU sponsored by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, 8/11/15 http://c3techconf.la-archdiocese.org/?page_id=254 Participants will leave with… Participants will come way with a clear, accessible understanding of what media literacy is in the digital age and why it is imperative that character education, beginning in the family, be integrated across the curriculum for all other literacies to build on. They will come away with practical skills that they can apply immediately in life, faith, catechesis, and education. As catechists, teachers, parents and ministers, it is not enough to know "how." We are called to be faithful citizens in the digital universe and character education is the basic human foundation on which to build the moral, faithful citizen with an informed conscience and vibrant faith life. As part of the workshop, you will… Look at various samples of digital media and apply two methods for critical thinking to share with those with whom you share faith and a list of online resources to aid your family, educational and pastoral ministry.

1. S
Digital Media Literacy: Why Character Matters
Sr. Rose Pacatte FSP
Pauline Center for Media Studies PaulineCMS.com
C 3 Tech Conference 2015

2. State Farm French Model Commercial

3. “Bully” trailer

4. E-Sports

5. MJG = major arena events

6. E-Sports: Dota 2 CSGO

7. Outline
S Values
S Culture
S What is critical media literacy?
S What is critical autonomy?
S What does it mean for the digital age?
S What is character education?
S Virtues
S Practical skills for living fully in a digital universe

8. Entertainment &
information media
S Media normalize behavior
S Media do not consistently show consequences for
choices …
S Media often challenges our values

9. The spiritual builds on the
human
What is truly human is truly of the Gospel
and what is truly of the Gospel is truly
human. (cf. Gaudium et Spes)

10. Values:
Overarching ideas or ideals that
guide our lives
1.
2.
3.

11. These values can
1. Form the criteria for
media mindfulness (discernment)
and talking about entertainment and
information media
2. Influence media makers of tomorrow
who are in our pews, living rooms and
classrooms today

12. Culture
S Culture is communication
S We communicate about what is important to us (values)
S Culture is a specific dimension of the existence and being of
man.
S It creates among the persons within each community a
complex of bonds, determining the interpersonal and social
character of human existence.
S Human persons are both subject and creators of culture in
which they express themselves and finds their equilibrium.

13. Where’s the media in your life?
(Girl washing laptop YouTube)

14. Media: storytelling
(Digital “Exodus Google”)

15. What is media literacy?
The ability to
S Access
S Analyze
S Evaluate
S Create
S Media in all “their” forms
S Leading to participation in culture and society

16. Media literacy is an
educational imperative for the
21st century
S It’s more than knowing how to use new media
(“instrumentalize”)
S It’s understanding how they function in persons, families,
groups, communities and society as consumer products, as
information and entertainment
S Its about relationships of power
S It’s about gender, age, race, religious representation
S And as means of storytelling that comes from a point of view
S Media literacy in the digital age is about asking questions:
awareness reflection dialogue action

17. Vermont students call out
Fox News: Bill O’Reilly

18. And how does Bill O’Reilly
respond?
“It’s
entertainment!”

19. What does it mean to be a
person of “character”?
S Making a habit of doing the right thing
S What you do when no one is looking
S Empathy
S How would you like it if someone did that to you?

20. “What you do matters not much; what
you are matters tremendously”
S Catherine de Hueck Doherty

21. Moral education
“Moral education does not look much like teaching … The
picture we get is the master working with the apprentice
… C.S. Lewis, like Aristotle, believes that moral principles
are learned indirectly from others around us, who serve
as exemplars.”
“They are not just good stories (re: The Chronicles of Narnia), they
serve to enhance moral education to build character.”
- Gilbert Meilaender

22. Moral education/
character development
and the media
Stories and story-telling
Media Literacy Education/
Media Mindfulness
Understanding stories vis-à-vis critical
engagement, inquiry, decision, action

23. Why character matters
Values
Communication
Relationships
Culture

24. Character is destiny
 Thoughts become
acts
 Acts develop into
habits
 Habits define
character
 Your character
shapes your destiny

25. Character
S Thoughts: Where character begins
S Acts: Knowing what’s right, doing what’s right
S Habits: Making good character second nature
S Character: Our behavior reflects our being
S Destiny: We reap what we sow

26. Learning character
 Language
 Communication of values
 Example
 Teaching
 Relationships
 Family and peers
 Social interaction
 Inner, dialogic speech
 Personal initiative
 Reading, media, paying attention, reflection, dialogue

27. Character?
(Apple “Misunderstood” commercial
YouTube)

28. Values, character,
moral education, living virtue,
critical autonomy
S Critical autonomy: asking questions, discerning right and
wrong, choosing to do the right thing when no one is
looking
S Ignatian spirituality promotes critical autonomy

31. Virtue
S Virtue is “a habit of being”
S When values are lived and repeated they become
natural, they become habits of being “virtue”

32. Think theologically
about social media
“You will need to know what you believe
about God as well as God’s ongoing,
eternal communication with us”
- Meredith Gould “The Social Media Gospel”
The Apostles Creed,
Catholic Social Teaching
Sacraments

33. Values to Virtues
What did Jesus say?
What would Jesus do?

34. What are Jesus’ family values?
S To feed the hungry
S To give drink to the thirsty
S To clothe the naked
S To give shelter to the homeless
S To visit the sick
S To ransom the captive
S To bury the dead.

35. More of Jesus’ family values
S The spiritual works of mercy
S To instruct the ignorant
S To counsel the doubtful
S To admonish sinners
S To bear wrongs patiently
S To forgive offences willingly
S To comfort the afflicted
S To pray for the living and the dead

36. Before you watch, play, create, post ….

37. “Vacation” trailer

38. Before you watch, play, create, post ….

39. Vacation
S T - is it true? Not that I've ever seen or imagined.
S H - is it helpful? No.
S I - is it inspiring? No.
S N - Is it necessary? Lord, no.
S K - Is it kind? No and that's why it gets my rating:
S DG = Don't Go
S And if you do: (IWY = I Warned You).

40. He Named Me Malala Trailer

41. Before you watch, play, create, post ….

42. Let us remember that the
world is permeated by grace
even when it does not seem
so
(cf. Karl Rahner)

43. Questions for Catholic school teachers,
catechists, parents, and students today:
 Network or communion?
 Creators or consumers?
 Freedom or responsibility?