Utah State Board of Education Letter

This letter is intended for the members of the Utah State Board of Education.

Hello,

            My name is Kaitlyn Day and I am a student at Brigham Young University. One of my classes this school semester is on the effects of media on children and adolescents. This class has made me more aware than I have ever been before of not only the negative effects of media but also the positive impact media can have on children and teens. Media can be a powerful tool in encouraging prosocial attitudes and behavior in society, but it can also be used in ways that promote inappropriate and harmful thoughts and behavior. My most important take away from this course is that I have the responsibility to be an active user of media. I need to be aware of not only the content of the media I am consuming but also the research behind the impact of that content.

            I believe that each child and adolescent has the right to an education in media literacy. I am aware that many schools have curriculum in place to help their students learn how to use technology. I am suggesting that an education in the effects of media could prove to be even more beneficial than simply learning how to use technology. As someone that works in a school with elementary and middle school aged children every day, I can confidently say that a large amount of the behavioral issues I navigate with students are impacted, to some extent, by their media habits. These children and teens need an education in media literacy.

            I propose that Media Literacy become a required subject for all school students to cover. I think that this could take the form of a class that every student is required to take before they graduation high school, but I think it would be even better to make Media Literacy a part of the curriculum in every grade. This may require that time be taken away from typing practice to teach 3^rd graders about the possible effects of violent video games. This could mean that an 8^th grade science class may do an experiment regarding mood and different types of music instead of an experiment regarding throwing paper airplanes.

Each grade level will be ready for a different amount of information about the media, presented in different ways. Curriculum should be developmentally appropriate for each student. I really do believe that talking about what these kids are seeing in movies, video games and on YouTube would go a very long way in helping them form better media habits and helping them navigate the media world more effectively. An 11-year-old may not realize that the amount of time she is spending on social media may have an impact on her anxiety and depression levels in the future, but we have a responsibility to teach her so she can make an educated and intentional decision.

Thank you for the time you have taken to read this letter. I hope you will consider the things I have mentioned, and they will lead you to research this topic further.

Thank you for all you are already doing,

Kaitlyn Day

Princesses and Reality

This past week I have been watching some of my favorite princess movies including Princess Protection Program and Princess Diaries. Its interesting for me to go back and re-watch these movies from a different perspective then I had when I was a kid watching them. I remember seeing movies like these and fantasying that maybe one day my long lost grandmother would show up and tell me I'm the princess of some country I've never heard of (I don't have a long lost grandma so I'm not sure why I thought this might be possible haha). Only now that I'm older do I realize how ridiculous the plots of these movie are! When I was a kid it seemed perfectly reasonable that someone could sudden have a princess running from an evil villain living with them and trying to act like a normal teenager (Princess Protection Program). Another thing I have noticed going back and watching these movie is how off the character's and the actresses playing them are. For example, Mia in Princess Diaries is supposed to be 15 years old... Anne Hathaway looks like she's 23 in that movie. I never questioned this as a kid because 15 did sound super old to me back then. I have noticed this in other movie and TV shows to such as Hannah Montana and High School Musical. No wonder kids are always trying to grown up too fast.

Star Wars

So I've never been a huge Star Wars fan, in fact, before this last week I don't think I had ever sat down and actually watched an entire Star Wars film. However, with my new Disney+ subscription I have access to all of them and figured its about time I get caught up. Although I have never sat down and watched a Star Wars film the movie have a large presences in pop culture so I am very familiar with the characters and even the overall plot of the films. In addition, my family and I are big fans of the Disney Theme Parks so I have been exposed to Star Wars rides and shows both at Disneyland and Disney World. It was a really interesting experience this week actually watching the films and realizing how the iconic characters and scenes actually fit into the greater story line. It was also interesting to hear lines in the movie that I had heard tossed around in general conversation before and realize that they had come from the Sar Wars films and I hadn't even known. I just find it interesting that some media has become so much a part of pop culture that we don't even need to see the films to have a significant amount of exposure to the content. I enjoyed the experience of going back and finally viewing the films after having already been so well exposed to the characters and themes. I also feel that I will now experience Star Wars attractions at my favorite theme parks and Star Wars related content online and in conversations with new ideas now that I have experienced their cinematic origins.

DISNEY+

DISNEY+, DISNEY+, DISNEY+!!!!!!!! So needless to say I signed up for Disney + this week and am LOVING it!!!! It has been way too much fun looking through all the old movies and TV shows (some I have see many times but totally forgot they existed) and reminiscing with my siblings. My family and I are huge Disney fans and so my siblings and grew up watching Disney movies and Disney Channel so this is a common interest we all can share. The day Disney+ was launched our family group chat was consumed with fun memories and plans to rewatch some of our favorites together. Media is such an effective way to bring people together. I say that EVERY week but its interesting that almost all of the media I have mentioned on this blog stands out in my mind because of its ability to connect me with others.
As a side note, If you have signed up for Disney+ I would highly recommend watching the documentary that is included on the app called "The Imagineering Story". I watched it the first say the app was released and was very inspired by it. If you are a Disney fan is a must see.

P.S. I have finally published the video blog that I mentioned in my post a few weeks ago if any of you want to check it out. Here's the link: https://kaitlynday96.wixsite.com/mysite

The Lightning Thief

My husband and I have been reading/listening to the Percy Jackson series recently. We are almost finished with the first book, The Lightning Thief. Reading these books together has provided us with a really fun activity to do together. In the past we have had a hard time finding an activity that we both equally enjoy. Finding a form of media such as a book or TV show that we can agree upon gives us an easy choice for how to spend our time when we get a free night. My husband and I are invested in so many different efforts throughout the week that having a fun story to be mutually invested in is really refreshing.

TED Talks

This week I have been listening to a lot of TED Talks in my free time. I forgot how much I enjoy listening to them. There are TED Talks on about every subject you can think of usually there are several on similar topics. I really enjoy hear the different perspectives and ideas people have. Whenever I listen to these ideas I find myself filling my head and my conversations with more meaningful information. I think media not only provides us entertainment in our down time but also often makes up the content of our thoughts and words when are not consuming it. This experience just reminds me of the importance of being an active and thoughtful consumer of media.

The Ellen Show

I generally don't watch very much TV but this week I have started watching clips from the Ellen show of YouTube. I think that I tend to get tired of different forms of media pretty quickly so I often switch up what I watch frequently and Ellen is my current media of choice. Ellen provides great comedic relief to my day and that is for sure the main reason I enjoy her show. When I am stressed about the day watching a 5 minute clip from her show often gives me the boost I need to keep working on whatever me current task is. Is this health? Should I be looking for a boost from real people in my life rather than a person on a screen that I've never met? I don't know. Maybe? Thoughts?

Video Blog

So I going to start by being very upfront and honest... I tend to judge video bloggers pretty harshly. I often wonder how someone can possibly have enough confidence to put videos of themselves on the web and expect others to spend their precious time watching and listening to what they have to say. I know that sounds really negative and unkind but that is how I have always felt about it. However, during the most recent general conference I received the distinct impression to start my own video blog about the struggles I face in my day to day life in order to connect with others on a more personal level. WOW.... it took me about a week to act on this impress due to my firmly held bias against video blogs but I finally gave in and created a website and started making videos. I haven't yet made the blog public but I will let you guys know once I do. Through the prompting I received to use media in a more active way to spread hope and love I have learned to be less judgmental of those using the media to do the same thing the Lord has inspired me to do. I wonder how long the Lord has been prompting me to use a media platform in this way but was not able to get through due to my hard heart. As I have started recording videos for my new blog I have released that it isn't at all about all the knowledge and experience I have and the fact that I need to share that with the world but rather the fact that I need a place to share my struggles and connect with others.

Map My Run

I have enjoyed running for many years but had to slow down a couple of years ago due to a hip injury. I have since recovered and recently started running again. As I started to get back in shape I began to wonder if I was back to the speed I had previously been capable of before my injury so I downloaded the Map My Run app on my phone and I have LOVED it! The ability to track my run and get in the moment feedback from my phone is so motivational and my speed has improved significantly since I started using the app. This form of media has had a very positive influence on my physically health.

Tamagotchi

Last week in class we talked about video games and that got me thinking about some of the games I played as a child. I have never been very big into video games but I do remember liking augmented reality type games where you like take care of a puppy or something. I thought it might be fun to download a couple of those types of games on my phone and play them for memory sake. In my searching I re-discovered TAMAGOTCHI pets!!!!! I don't know how many of you remember Tamagotchi from your elementary school days but they were like the coolest thing ever back then. They were these little electronic devices on a key chain that had little tiny black and white screens which you used to take care of your little Tamagotchi pet (ie. feeding it, playing games with it, taking it to the bathroom, putting it to sleep etc). I remember that these devices were $15 at Walmart and I saved up FOREVER to be able to finally buy one. Anyways, I downloaded the Tamagotchi app on my phone this week (for FREE by the way, no saving required) and have been enjoying the nostalgia of playing the game this week. It is funny to me though how addicting such a silly and childish game can be though. I have found myself getting all sucked into the tasks of playing arcade games to earn points for food and clothes for my pet and then bathing and feeding and putting it to bed. Its a bit embarrassing to admit that it has become a distraction for me at times when I should be doing homework or other tasks. I think the reason why games like this appeal to me in particular is because I am 100% the kind of person that feels successful when I am busy regardless if what I am busy with is meaningful or not. These types of games provide something to DO and satisfaction when you complete tasks and earn points.

Children's Books

I know I talked about books in my last post but I really wanted to share this experience with you all. For one of the online classes I am taking I have been volunteering at a retirement home for the past several months. This last weekend, during my volunteer hour, I brought some award winning Children's Books and poetry to read to the residents. I happened to be volunteering right during the BYU football game and lets just say I learned very quickly that the elderly are as energetic about sports as anyone I know. However, there was one resident named Marg that was much more interested in the books I brought to read than the game. She and I found a quiet place and I read to her for about an hour. We enjoyed looking and the pictures and talking about the stories. This experience reminded me of how grateful I am for media's ability to bring people together.  

Harry Potter

I have been re-reading the Harry Potter series again recently and I am just LOVING it!!! I'm on book 5 right now, The Order of the Phoenix. I have always loved books, they are one of my very favorite forms of media. I tend to read when I want a fully immersive experience that will pull my mind away from the world around me so completely that I forget my worries. I think books do this better then any other type of media because they require active brain power because you have to actually read the story and require complete utilization of your imagination. There is not any space left in your mind to think or worry about anything else. Although I much prefer the Harry Potter books to the movies, I have definitely seen all of the movies several times. This experience is interesting because as I am reading the books I can hear the voices of the actors from the movie in my mind and see their faces. This creates an interesting blend of media that often leaves me reading and thinking in a British accent for hours after I put down the book.

F.R.I.E.N.D.S

I recently have started watching the T.V. show Friends. I had an extremely stressful week and spent a couple of hours watching the show as an escape from my stressors. I find that media often serves as a distraction from difficult or stressful situations. Friends is a funny show without a lot of stressful or emotionally intense content which makes it perfect for decompressing at the end of a stressful day.