Canada: Marketing and consumerism focus of Media Literacy Week
The Canadian Teachers’ Federation (CTF), one of EI’s national affiliates, will organise the eighth national annual Media Literacy Week on November 4-8 in collaboration with MediaSmarts, a Canadian not-for-profit centre for digital and media literacy. This year’s Week will focus on marketing and consumerism.
The official theme of the week, “What’s being sold: helping kids make sense of marketing messages”, will encourage educators and parents to talk to children and teens about the marketing they encounter on a daily basis. The goal of Media Literacy Week is to promote the importance of digital and media literacy education in Canadian homes, schools, and communities.
During the week, a variety of activities will take place across the country to raise awareness of marketing issues that affect children and teens including body image, online marketing, food advertising, and tobacco and alcohol marketing.
Develop a critical eye
“As teachers, we see first-hand how advertising influences the manner in which students perceive themselves and the world around them,” CTF President Dianne Woloschuk said. “As a national teacher organisation, we believe in helping students develop a critical eye with respect to media advertising which will help them make wise and healthy decisions.”
On 1 November, Woloschuk will be participating in a lively discussion on marketing, consumerism, and youth with a panel of marketing experts and high school students from across Canada. This panel will launch the Week.
EI: Informed citizens
“We welcome activities such as this Canadian Week, encouraging parents and educators to talk to young people about a wide range of issues, including food advertising, body image, marketing practices on mobile phones and apps and alcohol and tobacco promotions,” said EI General Secretary Fred van Leeuwen. “Helping students recognise when they are being marketed to and how to understand the messages that are targeting them is part of quality education. This contributes to students becoming informed and active citizens.”
To learn more about Canada’s Media Literacy Week, click here
