Chapter 2. Chapter 2
Media Literacy Activity:
Online Safety and Privacy
Media Literacy Activity: Online Safety and Privacy
Activity Objective: In this activity, you will apply the critical process to examine issues of online safety and privacy.
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Media Literacy Activity:
Online Safety and Privacy
Reviewing the Critical Process
Developing a media-literate critical perspective involves mastering five overlapping stages that build on one another. Let’s review the critical process you’ll be using below:
Description: paying close attention, taking notes, and researching the subject under study
Analysis: discovering and focusing on significant patterns that emerge from the description stage
Interpretation: asking and answering “What does that mean?” and “So what?” questions about one’s findings
Evaluation: arriving at a judgment about whether something is good, bad, or mediocre, which involves subordinating one’s personal taste to the critical “bigger picture” resulting from the first three stages
Engagement: taking some action that connects our critical perspective with our role as citizens to question our media institutions, adding our own voice to the process of shaping the cultural environment
Media Literacy Activity:
Online Safety and Privacy
Description
1. Gather information about online safety and privacy tips by visiting three or more of the following Web sites:
- ConnectSafely: http:///www.connectsafely.org
- Identity Theft Resource Center: http://www.idtheftcenter.org
- Privacy Rights Clearinghouse: https://www.privacyrights.org/consumer-guides
- National Cyber Security Alliance: https://staysafeonline.org/stay-safe-online
- Stop Think Connect: https://www.stopthinkconnect.org
- Consumer Reports: http://www.consumerreports.org/privacy/66-ways-to-protect-your-privacy-right-now
2. Based on your findings, identify three specific tips for protecting your privacy online. These tips could be about things you did not previously know regarding online safety and privacy, or they could be specific tips that you think others should know.
3. Design a quick survey to collect data from at least five classmates.
- Do classmates already know about each specific tip?
- Have classmates already followed the advice suggested by each tip?
- Would classmates follow the advice suggested by each tip?
- Do classmates think the tips are important or not? Why do they think the tips are important or not?
Use the space below to answer the following question.
Provide a synopsis of the results of your survey. Be sure to include the three specific tips you chose.
Media Literacy Activity:
Online Safety and Privacy
Analysis
Using the findings from your survey, let’s explore what patterns emerge in your classmates’ attitudes and behaviors about online safety and privacy.
Use the space below to answer the following questions.
1. What aspects of online safety and privacy do these Web sites seem most concerned about? Why?
2. What sorts of patterns emerge from classmates’ responses to your survey about online safety and privacy?
3. Are classmates concerned or unconcerned about their online safety and privacy? How so? Have your questions made them consider their online safety privacy for the first time?
Media Literacy Activity:
Online Safety and Privacy
Interpretation
Next, identify the meaning of the patterns you found regarding online safety and privacy.
Use the space below to answer the following questions.
1. What do these patterns mean?
2. What do these patterns tell you about classmates’ online behavior regarding safety and privacy?
3. What do these patterns tell you about classmates’ attitudes regarding online safety and privacy?
Media Literacy Activity:
Online Safety and Privacy
Evaluation
Through the following questions, assess ways that you think the Web sites and classmates’ attitudes and behaviors are right or wrong, good or bad, are fine, or should change.
Use the space below to answer the following questions.
1. Do classmates care enough about their own online safety and privacy?
2. Are classmates doing enough about their own online safety and privacy?
Media Literacy Activity:
Online Safety and Privacy
Engagement
Let’s take action! Identify ways you can take action regarding online safety and privacy. Here are some suggestions on how to get involved:
- Identify ways you can change your own behavior to be online safely and protect your privacy.
- Encourage classmates to change their behavior to be online safely and protect their privacy.
- Become an advocate for online safely and privacy by joining an initiative promoted by one of the Web sites you used.
Use the space below to answer the following question.
Do you feel motivated to act? Why or why not? If yes, what are some ways that you can engage with the issues of online safety and privacy?