Media Literacy Activity: Online Safety and Privacy
Introduction
Activity Objective
In this activity, you will apply the critical process to examine issues of online safety and privacy.
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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:
Stage 1. Description: paying close attention, taking notes, and researching the subject under study
Stage 2. Analysis: discovering and focusing on significant patterns that emerge from the description stage
Stage 3. Interpretation: asking and answering “What does that mean?” and “So what?” questions about one’s findings
Stage 4. 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
Stage 5. 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
Description
Gather information about online safety and privacy tips by visiting three or more of the following Web sites:
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.
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 text box provided to answer the following question.
Question
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 text boxes provided to answer the following questions.
Question 1
Question 2
Question 3
Interpretation
Next, identify the meaning of the patterns you found regarding online safety and privacy.
Use the text boxes provided to answer the following questions.
Question 1
Question 2
Question 3
Evaluation
Through the following questions, assess the ways that you think your classmates’ attitudes and behaviors are right or wrong, good or bad, are fine, or should change.
Use the text boxes provided to answer the following questions.
Question 1
Question 2
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 safety and privacy by joining an initiative promoted by one of the Web sites you used.
Use the text box provided to answer the following question.