What is your high school literacy education experience regarding sexualized images in the media?
In high school, I had limited access to literacy education about sexualized media. The syllabus covered more expansive areas of media literacy. There were no honest and authentic talks on sexualized images in media, and some teachers who touched on it did not go into deep details. Therefore, I missed a lot because such teachings could have impacted how I interact and relate to people around me.
How effective do you think that education was helping you interpret or safely interact with such media content now that you are old?
As stated above, my education on sexualized images in media was scarce. There was not enough guidance on sexual education, which I believe left something unaddressed within me as far as my understanding is concerned. Due to this, I find it hard to navigate sexualized images in my daily experiences. Learning about these things in high school would have better prepared me for adulthood and enabled me to make wise decisions about the type of media to consume. However, through my commitments and daily interactions with people, I am learning to be responsible for the content I consume.
What advice would you offer your teachers today on how to improve teaching media literacy to kids in your former high school?
To hone their teaching of media literacy in high school, I advise educators to use real-world scenarios, emerging events, and different media genres in their methods. Teachers can also engage students in discussions where learners explore the effects of biases and media sources in real life. However, they must incorporate diverse perspectives in their lessons to ensure students better understand life’s issues.
Do you think porn media may help people make informed choices about the media they see, watch, or read?
I believe that porn media, when approached meticulously, can make individuals make informed decisions regarding the type of content they consume. For example, pornography can help a person develop a positive stance about body image, relationships, and consent by encouraging consciousness of its nuances. Besides, understanding numerous messages, genres, and themes in porn media can help a person navigate this media facet critically.
What are your views on the news articles and video watched?
After watching the video, The Effects of Sexualized Media, by Ande Burns, I concur with her that sexualized media is detrimental to young adults. She claims that pornography and sexualized content can have adverse impacts that cannot be compared to something else on the earth (Burns, 2020, 00:02:16-00:02:24). I have also learned that consuming sexualized content and pornography alters the victim’s neural chemistry via a process called reward circuits and that the impact is more profound in younger people (Burns, 2020, 00:02:32-00:02:39). Another thing I have gleaned is that pornography and sexualized material can only have positive mental and physical outcomes if the person exposed to them has appropriate education and representation (Burns, 2020, 00:06:18-00:06:42).
About A Private-School Sex Educator Defends Her Methods, my view is that there should be all-inclusive sex teachings in schools. Sex educator Fonte’s teaching grade 12 kids about sexual literacy portrays her determination to promote a vigorous sexual understanding among young people (Safronova, 2021). The conflict between Fonte and parents over her technique only echoes the varied viewpoints on learning methods.
In my opinion, there is no openness between parents and the Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School about the inclusion of a ‘porn literacy’ program. I think it would have been better if the school consulted with parents before adding such a sensitive class to their syllabus. The occurrence emphasizes the importance of schools and parents having succinct talks about what topics students should be taught to avoid conflict of perspectives.
References
Burns, A. (2020, May). The Effects of Sexualized Media*. TEDxYouth@Dayton. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/LJ0QSs4B5-Q?si=NRYmR_t-01xbkdqw. Accessed 1 February 1, 2024.
Safronova, V. (2021, October). A Private-School Sex Educator Defends Her Methods. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/07/style/sex-educator-methods-defense.html. Accessed 1 February 2024.
Kennedy, D. (2021, May). Columbia Prep students and parents reel after class on ‘porn literacy.’ New York Post. Retrieved from https://nypost.com/2021/05/22/columbia-prep-students-parents-reel-from-porn-literacy-class/ Accessed 1 February 1, 2024.
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