Social media recruitment is one of the most discussed topics and is proving to be one of the best ways for recruiting top talents for any organization. Making connections comes naturally but now social media is used as a tool for making connections. LinkedIn is becoming a great platform but now entirely on recruitment base with hundreds of millions of users worldwide. Social involves influencing tools to recruit talent. Job recruitment is all about networking and with the advent, modern technological networks are injected into tried and true formula. Another benefit is that the ability to create inexpensive advertisements targeting a particular group of people.

These way recruiters are able to find an audience as per their requirements. It not only enables an organization to access a vast pool of potential talent but it also allows the recruiter to get to know about a candidate about his eligibility before sending out an invitation letter. The main benefit of social recruitment is that the hiring representative is able to meet and determine the capacity of an individual and it saves the recruiters from the time-consuming process of reviewing applications. As the world today is becoming more technologically driven, social media recruitment is becoming more and more important as most of the employers now prefer to look at the public profile of the applicants before hiring them to know about their qualities and capacity to do a particular work.

Tips To Hire Through Social Recruitment:

 Share stories and images that show the culture and working environment of the company so that candidates can already know about the environment and the conditions they need to work in. One should be as transparent as possible about the company.

 The employees should share their experience with the company as much as possible on social media. The company can share their content because when people get to learn about other people’s experiences, they are more attracted towards the company.

 Brag about the perks of your company. Bragging is one of the leading ways to attract people on social media. Show off the perks and benefits of the company on social media.

 Post some inspirational and motivating quotes about the company with a job description or job posting. People will feel like it’s a great opportunity for them and hence will be willing to work with the organization.

 Highlighting the charity work of the company is a great deal. It emphasizes a company’s reputation and shows that the company is helping various communities. Some people want to work with the companies who do some charity work or NGO’s.

 Highlight the work-life balance of the company. Some people find it difficult to balance their personal and professional life so they don’t do jobs. Posting about how the employees in your company have a balanced professional and personal life will motivate other people to go to work. Even posting about maintaining this balance, in general, is also very helpful as candidates might have the idea that they can do so in your organization. So it will attract more candidates in your organization.

 Post about job openings on social media websites. Posting about job openings on social media is very important. If the company does not post about job openings on social media, the candidates won’t know about your company or the job openings in your company. Posting about job opening will increase your organization’s reach. The job title should be attractive and the post should be well written. The job post should contain maximum information in minimum words. Always post a picture related to the job openings because the pictures are attractive and a candidate seeking for the job will always be attracted towards the job.

Conclusion: The use of social media by employers for hiring candidates will continue to be the trend, and potential employers so can examining their profiles for objectionable content, these will likely remain edge cases. Most of the employers pursue intelligent policies that provide the relevant information about their candidates through social media, and it also helps them to select the top qualified candidates. Social media indeed is a powerful tool for recruiting.

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Community media is described by Ellie Rennie (2006), in a broad sense, as “community communication.” Fundamentally, it is elusive to define the term in an absolute manner because it can take so many forms, be applied by so many different groups of people, and be directed at such a wide range of issues. The premise, however, that community media is a facilitative tool for discussion and engagement of the ordinary citizenry has some inherent implications. A major implication is that community media is for the most part independent of the market-driven commercial and mainstream media outlets. This, in turn, allows for different models of community media to offer either a wide open editorial policy or a more fine-tuned approach that is still loyal to the encouragement of community participation. The key characteristics of community media convey a more clear understanding of its definition as well as its depth and dimension in terms of how it takes shape in the civic landscape (Rennie, 2006: 208).

The South African definition is that community media are either a geographic community or a community of interest. Ideally then, community media are produced, managed and owned by, for and about the community they serve, which can either be a geographic community or one of interest. “Community media is a two-way process, in which the communities participate as planners, producers and performers and it is the means of expression of the community rather than for the community.”

It appears easier to posit an ideal definition of community media than to extrapolate a definition from the actual community-based media initiatives existing on the ground (McQuail, 1994). The media used are different and, as is the case with video, sometimes the medium used itself poses challenges to the notion of community participation. The ownership and management patterns are diverse, even though they can be broadly defined as non-governmental and non-corporate. The levels of community participation are equally diverse. And the aims are quite specifically different, although again, in general the aims are all for some aspect of community development.

The concept of community media implies that for communities to be heard at national level, they have to be heard at grassroots level first. The potential to communicate and receive communication is a social good, which should be fairly, universally and strictly equal. Curran and Gurevitch (1991) state that the full concept of citizenship presupposes an informed participant body of citizens, most generally, if we suppose there to be a right to communicate then it implies an equal individual claim to hear and to be heard. Similarly, Freire (1990) observes that the less people are consulted, the less democracy a nation has.

Community broadcasting seeks to foster debate about, reach consensus on and build solidarity in promoting and protecting human rights and achieving sustainable development, including peace and reconciliation (McQuail, 1994). Community broadcasting is about both access to and dissemination of information. It acts as media for the flow of information to and from communities, on the one hand, and the national and international levels, on the other hand (McQuail, 1994). It provides access to needed external information as well as advocacy on issues of concern, with relevant policy making levels informed by experiences at the community level and solutions generated therein. In a broader sense, community broadcasting enables greater participation by communities in national and international affairs. It has a dual role – that of a mirror (reflecting the community back at itself) and that of a window (allowing the outside world to look in at its experiences).

Fraser, Colin and Sonica Restrepo Estrada (2001) argue that community media provide a vital alternative to the profit oriented agenda of corporate media. They are driven by social objectives rather than the private, profit motive. Community media empower people rather than treat them as passive consumers and they nurture local knowledge rather than replace it with standard solutions. Ownership and control of community media is rooted in and responsible to the communities they serve, and they are suitable approaches to development, (Buckley, 2000). The nature and purpose of community media initiatives should be the most important determinants. Resource shortcomings of any kind can be addressed through alternative strategies. Steve Buckley (2000) observes that democracy and communication are inextricably linked, so much so that the existence or otherwise of certain forms of communications can be a measure of the limits to which democracy itself has developed or is held back.

Curran & Gurevitch (1991) state that the nature of community media is participatory and its purpose is development, “processes of public and private dialogue through which people define who they are, what they want and how they can get it. Community participation is thus seen as both a means to an end and an end in itself. The processes of media production, management and ownership are in themselves empowering, imbuing critical analytic skills and confidence about interpretations reached and solutions found. The medium chosen must, therefore, be one that enables, enhances and sustains community participation.

From the above considerations, it follows that the choice of media to be used in a local community is necessarily specific to that community. What works in one community may not work in another (Lesame, 2005). For example, gender and age are factors to be taken into account when discussing sexuality, but the manner in which they are taken into account differs across communities. Literacy levels, access to radio receivers in the community at large, familiarity with symbolism and other visual devices used in audio-visual media are other considerations. The choice of theatre, local language newspapers, radio or video – or any combination thereof – is and should be dependent on both internal and external factors (Bessette, 2004).

Internally, the choice should address the development aims of the community concerned and build on what forms of communication already exist, especially where the community concerned has a history or tradition of educational music and dance. And externally, the choice should ensure ease and effectiveness of impact on the national and international actors the community wishes to speak to. For example, video is a powerful medium to raise awareness about human rights concerns, but it is also a medium which does not necessarily or typically allow for the complexities of a situation to be expounded on and can thus lead to simplistic interventions for resolution. Participatory community-based planning to make the choice of a medium should take these internal and external considerations into account.

Putting ads on social media like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter is an effective way to increase followers, build your email list, and to engage with your audience more.

You can practically reach out and touch your ideal audience with just a few clicks of the mouse. But first, you must get their attention. One of the best ways to do that is to advertise on the social platforms where your audience hang out.

It’s Inexpensive

You can place ads on any social platform like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter with as little as $20 and get results. You can test an ad inexpensively, tweak it, make it better, then run it again, increasing your budget based on your desired ROI.

It’s Effective

Paid ads work very well since so many people are regularly on social media. If you plan the advertisement correctly, it will seem as if you’re just engaging with your audience more. You don’t want the ad to look like a TV ad, but instead more like another share with valuable information.

Targeting Is Amazing

The way that you can laser target your audience on social platforms is reason enough to start using paid ads. You can run remarketing campaigns that show an advertisement to people who already went to your site but left without buying, for example.

It Boosts Brand Recognition

Even if someone doesn’t click on your advertisement, they may still see it in their feed. That seeing can’t be undone, and the more times they see it, the more likely they are to act on the advertisement.

Provides More Opportunity for Your Leads to Convert

If you really want to convert more leads, a direct paid advertisement on social media is an excellent way to accomplish it because you’ll reach more people than a regular post.

Improves Your Brand’s Authority

Most social media ads will show that they’re ads with the word “sponsored” showing up on the post. While this might seem like a negative, it’s not. If you’re seen as someone who spends money on social media ads, your audience will realize you’re making money in your niche. This will then start to bring you up to authority status in their minds.

Brings More Traffic to Your Website

Social media advertisements will bring more traffic to your website. Make sure you send them to an amazing landing page, specific to the social media site you’re placing the advertisement on.

Builds Your Email List Faster

There is no doubt that using social media advertisements to offer a freebie (lead magnet) will help you build your list faster. But, it needs to be very targeted, solve a serious problem easily, and be set up correctly with the social media platform you’re using.

You have a social media profile for every one of the social media channels that you have joined. You are probably aware of the fact that you must stay on top of your social media profiles once you create them. It isn’t enough to simply create the profiles and then leave them alone. If you do that, they won’t give anything back to you.

Quick and painless changes to your social media profiles

There are many different tweaks that you can make to your profiles and they don’t necessarily have to take a lot of time or effort to accomplish. However, if you make the changes (at least the ones that seem to make sense for your particular business), you will see a significant difference in the way that other people respond to you.

Enhancing your social media profiles will take you very little time and very little effort.

• Check the sizes of your images on the profiles: When dealing with the images, you will want to make sure that they are optimized (that means each and every one of them). Optimizing them means that you check the specifications of the particular social media channels and you ensure that the dimensions of your photos match those specifications. It will not take you any time at all to verify the dimensions and to make sure that your photos are within those guidelines.

  You shouldn’t necessarily assume that your photos should be perfect squares. That will not necessarily be the case. One good reason why you want to make sure that your photos are up to par is that they may be used (by you or someone else) in other places on the Internet.

• Make sure that your profile photos are consistent across all of your social media channels: Your photo should be a clean, professional headshot and you should use it on all of your channels. If that means that you need to get your photo taken by a professional, it is probably worth the investment. After all, that photo will be seen by so many people and your photo is a strong representation of who you are. You want people to get used to seeing that photo and associating it with your brand.

• Untag yourself: If you see that you are tagged in photos in the various social media channels and those photos are either not flattering or just plain inappropriate (or anything in between), there is nothing wrong with untagging yourself (or disassociating yourself) from those photos. Why would you want to be associated with photos that can potentially damage your reputation?

  You should be aware that some of the more popular social media channels allow you to disassociate quite easily. You will want to check the tags on a regular basis. If you don’t keep tabs on the tags, they may do your business some harm.

• Make sure that your profiles have keywords for optimization: No matter which business you are in, you still need to make sure that all of your content (no matter where you put it) is optimized. The reason that you want to do that is so that people can find you when they are searching for what you happen to be offering. The fact is that you want them to find you before finding anyone else first.

• Make sure that your profiles are complete: You don’t want people to look at your profiles and not be able to see the whole picture. That is just not effective. You can easily avoid that by just paying attention to your profiles and filling in the gaps. It won’t take you very long. As you are filling in the missing content, make sure that you make that content as engaging as possible.

• Connect one social media profile to the others: That is a really good thing to do and it will produce great results. You will want to test the links among the social media profiles. There is nothing more annoying than clicking on a link only to see that nothing happens.

Conclusion

Your social media profiles are an important part of your business and you can’t afford to let them stagnate. Using share buttons will help you to keep it interesting. Not only should you fill in all of the fields in your profiles but you should also make sure to update them on a regular basis (but not too frequently). You will want to share all sorts of interesting information (both words and images) so that you hold the interest of your target audience. You always want your content to be fresh, current, and engaging at all times.

You know how much you love to log into Facebook, Twitter, or the recently launched Google+, to share information or update your status. Whichever way you like using your social platforms, it is important to learn the social graces of social media, which have become integral parts of our lives. Many people believe that they can do as they please with their social media accounts.it is not uncommon to hear someone say,” it is my account, and I can use it as I can see fit.”

This may be true to an extent but it is vital to understand that it is a social network meaning you are not using it alone. You have to be considerate of others, more so because online communication lacks tone and body language, which would normally help regulate face-to-face interaction. Social media guidelines are not engraved in a stone but generally agreed for better interaction on social media. They also cannot be exhausted here, as there exist many social platforms used differently. Below are a few common ones that may apply to social media that are frequently used.

Think before you Post

When in doubt whether or not to share something online it is better not to share it. The internet really has no delete button. In fact, the general rule of thumb is – if you would not say it in a normal conversation, do not say it on social media.be careful about what you say or share. You never know who sees it and how it may affect them. Also if you are commenting or responding to something someone has posted, ensure that your comments are meaningful and respectful, that there is no spam (irrelevant or inappropriate messages sent ion the internet to a large number of recipients) or remarks that are off-topic or offensive.

In addition, avoid responding to or initiating inflammatory messages. If you really feel the need to reply to one, do not do it immediately. Give yourself time to think and come up with an appropriate and objective response. In fact, it is best to send a private message, especially if your response is negative.

Avoiding giving TMI (Too Much Information)

Someone once lightly said that there was a thin line between “I should tweet that” and ” I should talk to my therapist about that” How many times have you or someone you know posted information considered too personal on Facebook or Twitter? Efrain from sharing such on social media. Private conversations should also be kept out. Use private inboxes, email or chat if you have to share information that is not for everyone’s eyes. Keep venting frustrations to a minimum. No one likes a complainer

In the same breath, do not put too much information on your profile. Avoid giving details about where you live or about your children if you have any, among their personal information, for your own safety. The internet is not private.

Photos

No one is really interested in seeing a photo of you drunk and passed out at a party. Avoid posting photos of yourself in compromising positions, suggestive photos of anything that may be deemed offensive by others. It paints you in a negative light. Also do not post photos or tag people in photos without their permission, especially if they are not close friends. Regarding photos, it’s always good to have a photo of yourself on your profile as people like to see who they are interacting with online. Most people do not like to speak to cartoons or company logos.

Avoid text speak

Do you get ticked off when someone writes “Cn wi tlk l8r n 2de?”Space limitation on social media platforms is not common enough to warrant one to write one in such a manner. Communicate clearly and in a way that can be understood.

It’s not all about you.

People get tired of people who talk about themselves constantly. Social media is for social networking. Interact with people. Start conversations, share information and comment on the information others share. People are willing to listen to and engage with those who do the same.

Why is it so important for any type of business to have a social media presence? The answer to that is simple; you have to be where your customer is. For dental marketing you need to be where your patients are.

In order to be successful in a very competitive industry, one must employ all means possible just to have a competitive edge and in this day and age, the number one priority is social media presence.

There are plenty of ways that social media can help you and your dental practice. To name a few:

1. Social Media sites can be a source of quality leads or new patients.

2. By being present in social media sites such as Facebook, it can be utilized in a way for you to establish a relationship or connect with your current patients or your audience.

3. This is a powerful tool where you can market your dental practice and as a way for you to share relevant and valuable content.

4. This can also be a platform where you can have good reviews and recommendations for your dental practice or business.

Today, let’s talk about what you need to do to be successful in using social media marketing in your practice. I call it the 3 C’s of social media strategy in dental practice.

Consistency

You don’t have to create an account on all available platforms. You can start with one or two social media sites and that could be what most of your patients use. By doing this, you are dedicating more of your time to have a consistent presence in this one or two platforms that you use.

Make use of scheduling tools so you can manage multiple accounts in one place. There are plenty of great tools available online such as Hootsuite and buffer that can schedule and publish a post, as well as provide you with some insights on your followers.

Content

In marketing, they would always advise following the 80/20 rule. The 80% of your post is for your audience. The content should be something useful for your patient and should always be related to your dental practice. It can be tips on how they can take care of their oral health or you can go on a live question and answer session. The other 20% of your content is to promote your business like doing a contest, posting about a promotional rate, or it could be a virtual tour to your dental office.

Customer Care

You also need to ensure that all your social media messages are responded to as quickly as possible. You can make use of autoresponder and this feature is available on Facebook and it makes the patient feel that you are always at their service.

When all else fails, maybe the best way to manage your social media marketing is to let a professional help you. There are times that this is a great option especially for dentists who do not have the luxury of time to take care of the marketing side of things. It is no longer optional to have a social media presence in order to stay relevant in your practice.

Social sites are an opportunity to let your dental practice shine. It’s not just dental marketing. It’s real connections with your patients and future patients. Connecting, locally, on social media helps establish your practice as part of the community. Using your happiest patients as content for your profile is one easy way to get started.

Here’s an example, after giving someone veneers, you could offer them a discount (or just ask) in exchange for letting you post before and after pictures of their teeth. They can even remain anonymous. Marketing like that allows you to leverage everyday procedures into valuable content geared towards your target market.

If someone has been paying a lot of attention to the mainstream media over the last two years, there is the chance that they will have a certain view of the Coronavirus and all the variants that have and are likely to appear as time goes by. As far as they are concerned, this virus and its variants can be seen as being extremely deadly.

As a result of this, it will be essential for them to have every vaccine and booster that is offered and to follow all of the rules, regardless of what they are. Most likely, they will have a number of people in their life who behave in the same way.

Stepping Back

Now, if they were to step back, if only for a few minutes, and to think about why they perceive the virus in this way, what could come to mind is what they have heard about from the mainstream media. What the newsreaders have said, along with experts and governmental figures, will then have had a massive impact on their outlook.

Additionally, they may know at least one person who has died or is said to have died from it. But other than this, what they have been told from the people above can be what is primarily behind how they perceive reality.

The Truth

However, if they don’t engage in this process and look into why see the virus as they do, how they see the virus will just be seen as a reflection of what it is like. In other words, their experience of it won’t be influenced by what they have been told; it will simply be a reflection of how dangerous it is.

Consequently, if they were to meet someone who doesn’t really pay attention to the mainstream media, it is not going to be a surprise if there is conflict. The former will have one outlook and the latter is likely to have a very different outlook.

Two Experiences

The former can spend a lot of time feeling anxious and fearful, and rarely even leave their home. They can believe that the other person simply doesn’t realise how dangerous the virus is, needs to ‘wake up’ and could describe them as a conspiracy theorist.

On the other hand, the latter might find that, in general, their inner state hasn’t really changed and is happy to carry on as normal, or as normal as is possible and is doing what they can to naturally boost their immune system. In their eyes, they can believe that the other person has been conditioned to be overly fearful of the virus, due to what they have been told by the media and also needs to ‘wake up’.

The Power of Fear

If the latter had a different lifestyle and was also plugged into this source of information, there is the chance that they would have a different outlook. Yet, if someone was being fed fear, day after day, month after month, year after year, how else would they be?

It has been said that perception is reality, so if someone has been told, constantly, how dangerous a virus is, this information is going to define how they experience life. It won’t matter if there is any evidence that goes against what they believe, or if it is possible for them to naturally boost their immune system, as they will have literally been programmed to see reality through a certain lens.

The Big illusion

However, as this source creates the impression that they are simply reporting on what is going on, nothing more, nothing less, and one can see themselves as just an observer of reality, they won’t be able to see how what they are told goes into their creative consciousness and ends up defining what they do and don’t experience. Ultimately, the media is not simply informing them, it is conditioning them to see reality in a certain way as it is not possible for them to passively observe reality.

What this does is shed light on how powerful they, along with their fellow human beings, are. Thanks to the power that they and their fellow human beings have to create their own reality, it also means that each human being also has the ability to co-create a very different world.

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An Analogy

With that aside, taking into account the part that the mainstream media is playing in what is going on, if the virus was an organisation that wanted to keep everyone in fear and to control them, the media would be its mouthpiece. This organisation would be dangerous, no doubt about it, but without this arm of the operation, it wouldn’t have the same level of control.

But, it wouldn’t be right to say that what is going on is anything new as this source has been pumping out propaganda for years, with so many people being fearful of so many other things due to what this source has told them to fear. It is then very much a case of – business as usual.

Final Thoughts

Still, as easy as it is to see this source as the perpetrator and a large part of humanity as the victims, an outlook that is unlikely to lead to change, this would only be true on one level. What also needs to be looked into is why this source is able to manipulate a citizen; what’s inside them that makes them susceptible to this propaganda?

Is this source simply tapping into a citizen’s repressed fears and unresolved trauma? Someone in this position is then already in a vulnerable position, and, with the right words, images and sounds, this source, along with the government, is able to gradually hook them in, promise to protect them and, finally, to lead them wherever they desire.

Mixed media art allows both novice and professional artists have some fun with their craft because there are really no rules. It entails using just about anything you wish in creating a finished piece, like paint, sand, salt, charcoal and other things found at home. You can be messy for the sake of your art. Mixed media, in visual art, refers to an artwork in the making of which more than one medium has been used.

Landscapes plus seascapes made good subjects for mixed media projects because the texture and 3-D aspect that numerous media put to your project could bring the landscape to life. You can find a landscape photo in a magazine and cut it out, or find one on the web and print it. It should be colourful and also contain 3-D things like trees, flowers as well as buildings. Attach the picture on watercolour paper and make use of watercolour paints or pencils as well as items such as fabric and bark to continue the image outward. Get colours onto the original image for more blending. Another technique for younger artists is always to cut landscape elements like trees, water as well as animals from construction paper and paste them on a larger paper, and then add details using watercolours or oil paints.

Handmade greeting cards lend themselves well to a mixed media technique since you can adapt the media to the theme of the greeting card. Start with a simple collage technique by cutting or ripping construction paper and gluing the pieces to cardstock. For instance, you could use red and green paper for Christmas, and orange and black for Halloween. Form overlapping layers to get a more tactile effect. Create textures according to the event. For example, put tiny bits of pine boughs for Christmas or twisted tissue to depict ghosts for Halloween. If the receiver is a sports fan, create a background of his team’s hues and create a collage of cut-up sports cards of his favourite players. This process also can be useful for party invites.

Mixed media refers to completely anything that can be put onto a board, canvas or any other support and which can be combined with paints or other media. Why would you use mixed media? To begin with, it is one of the best methods to get into and to teach you the world of art. However, using it is not, as many may assume, a simple way of doing art. Any individual can paste a number of elements together, yet often the outcomes will look ugly.

There are lots of advantages to utilizing mixed media. First of all, it’s inexpensive. Newspapers, cloth, and household glue can form the base of a mixed media project. Secondly, and most importantly, using various materials from the world around you sensitizes you to things that you wouldn’t ordinarily see. Who would have thought that a piece of the local newspaper, a piece of wood, and a few paint had the ability to produce a pleasing artwork? This is also an excellent way of training in the world of form, shape and also colour. By combining different shapes and colours from the world around you, you can very quickly train the eye.

What is “media literacy?” The word literacy connotes a high degree of competency and usually means that a person knows how to read and write. A literate person, on the other hand, is well read, using and applying high level thinking skills across a broad range of topics. Computer literacy means the capacity to use computers well. Media literacy, then, is the ability to use all forms of media well. A media-literate person uses television, movies, DVDs, computer and video games for specific purposes, just as a print-literate person reads a book or a magazine, a college text or a newspaper for specific, various reasons.

Using all visual screen technology intentionally is the first, and most important element in becoming media literate. Ultimately as parents we want children and teens to be in control of small screens and not be controlled by them. Research has verified and experts know that a child who mindlessly watches a lot of TV or plays video games endlessly is less equipped to develop the capacities for wise media use. A media literate child, on the other hand, would learn to self-monitor screen time-being able to take it in doses-rather than make a habit of it four-five hours a day ad nauseum. He or she would want to do other activities because thinking, creative children are curious beings and there’s a whole world out there to explore-screen technologies just being one small part of it.

While a print-literate person reads words; a media literate person reads images. Using analysis, evaluation, and higher level thinking skills, a media-literate person interprets the subtle messages and overt claims visual messages convey. This is where we want our children headed-in a direction of making it second nature to think well about all forms of media images.

If we boiled down media literacy for our children, I think we would find five basic skills that we would like them to acquire:

• Conscious, intentional, limited use of all forms of screen technology

• Ability to critique visual messages and understand their intent and intellectual and emotional impact

• Ability to communicate facts, ideas, and thoughtful opinions about media images

• A thorough understanding of media production techniques to fully appreciate how such techniques as camera angles, lighting, cuts, etc. impact the messages being delivered

• Ability to use all forms of screen technology purposefully, and eventually wisely

Children can enjoy becoming media literate. The 45 family media literacy activities are grouped as follows:

30 General activities that you can adapt and use with children or teens.

15 Activities for children, specifically designed for children, ages 3-6

30 General Family Media Literacy Activities

1. TV and books.

Keep track of the dates when a TV version of a book is scheduled to air and encourage your kids to read the book first, or follow up the program by suggesting they read the book afterwards. Great discussions can result from comparing the original book and the TV version.

2. Use TV to expand children’s interests.

Link TV programs with your children’s interests, activities, and hobbies. A child interested in crafts can watch craft programs for encouragement and ideas; after viewing a wildlife show, take the kids to a zoo and have them recall what they learned about animals from the TV program. How does the real life experience differ from the show they watched? Are there any similarities?

3. Time capsule.

Ask your child to imagine that he or she has been given the job of choosing five television programs that will be included in a time capsule, not to be opened for one hundred years. Discuss what type of society these shows might reflect to a child opening the time capsule one hundred years from now.

4. Different viewpoints.

All family members watch one program together. The TV is then turned off and each person writes a few sentences about their opinions about the show. Discuss and compare everyone’s opinions, pointing out to your child how different people will like or dislike the same program. Why are all opinions valid? Who had the most persuasive opinion about the show? Why?

5. Watch a TV show being taped.

Take kids to a television program taping either locally or as part of a family trip to New York or Los Angeles. To make the trip more meaningful, have your children draw the set, take notes on the format of the show, note the special effects, and talk about what it was like being in the audience. Is the audience important to the show? How? (It may be easier to visit a local TV or radio station. You could visit both and talk about the differences between them.)

6. Make up an alternate title.

When you’re watching a TV program or movie with your child, ask him or her to exercise imagination and think of another title. To get things rolling, suggest an alternate title yourself. All family members can come up with as many alternates as possible. Vote on the best. What makes it better than all the rest to convey the essence of the show or film?

7. Compare what you see with what you expect.

With your child, come up with a description of a show before watching it, based on what you’ve read in a TV schedule. Predict how the characters will act and how the plot will unfold. When the program ends, take a few minutes to talk about what you saw: Did either of you notice any differences between what was written in the TV schedule and what was actually shown? Were either of you surprised by anything you saw? Is the show what you expected it would be? Why or why not?

8. Which category does it fit?

Using a television guide, your child will list all the shows she or he watches, then divide them into the following categories: comedy, news, cartoons, sitcoms, dramas, soap operas, police shows, sporting events, educational programs, and documentaries. Which is her or his favorite category and show? Why?

9. Predict what will happen.

During commercial breaks, ask your child to predict what will happen next in the program. You can discuss such questions as: If you were the scriptwriter, how would you end this story? What do you think the main characters will do next? Is it easy or difficult to guess the main event in this program? Why or why not?

10. The guessing game.

Turn off the volume but leave the picture on. See if your child can guess what is happening. To extend this into a family game, have everyone pick a TV character and add his/her version of that character’s words.

11. Letter writing.

Encourage your child to write letters to TV stations, describing why s/he likes and dislikes certain programs. Emphasize that giving factual and specific information will be helpful.

12. Be a camera operator.

Have your child experiment with a video camera to learn how it can manipulate a scene (omission-what it leaves out; selection-what it includes; close-up-what it emphasizes; long shot-what mood it establishes; length of shot-what’s important and what’s not).

13. Theme songs.

Help your child identify the instruments and sound effects used in the theme songs of his favorite shows. Have her sing or play the music in the show and explain what the music is doing. Does it set a mood? How? Does it tell a story? How does it make him/her feel?

14. Sequence the plot: a game.

To help your child understand logical sequencing, ask her to watch a TV show while you write down its main events, jotting each event on a separate card. At the completion of the program, shuffle the cards and ask your child to put them in the same order in which they appeared during the program. Discuss any lapses in logical sequence.

15. A time chart.

Your child will keep a time chart for one week of all of her activities, including TV watching, movie watching, and playing video games. Compare the time spent on these activities and on other activities, such as playing, homework, organized sports, chores, hobbies, visiting friends, and listening to music. Which activities get the most time? The least? Do you or your child think the balance should be altered? Why or why not?

16. Winning and losing.

Tell your child to watch a sports program and list all the words that are used to describe winning and losing. Encourage a long list. You can make this into a friendly competition, if you like, with two or more children collecting words from several sports programs and then reading them aloud.

17. TV and radio.

While watching TV coverage of a sports game, turn off the TV sound and have your child simultaneously listen to radio coverage. What does your child think about the radio coverage? About the TV coverage? What are the strengths of each? The weaknesses?

18. Quiz show comparison.

Compare and contrast the wide variety of game and quiz shows with your child. You’ll see shows that test knowledge, shows that are based on pure luck, and shows that are aimed specifically at children. Which are your child’s favorites? Why?

19. TV lists.

Assist your child in making lists of all television programs that involve hospitals, police stations, schools, and farms, and all television programs that contain imaginative elements, such as science fiction shows or cartoons.

20. Television vocabulary.

Challenge your child to listen for new words on TV and report back to the family on their definitions.

21. Critical viewing survey.

Ask your child to watch one of his favorite programs with you. Afterwards, you will both fill out the following survey. Then compare your answers. Are they different? Why? Are there right or wrong answers, or is much of what was recorded open to individual interpretation?

Critical Viewing Survey

Program watched:

Characters (List three to five and describe briefly):

Setting (Time and place):

Problems/Conflicts:

Plot (List three to five events in order of occurrence):

Story theme:

Solution:

Logic (Did the story make sense? Would this have happened in real life?):

Rating of the show (from one to ten, with ten being the highest):

22. Body language.

Observe body language in commercials and/or TV shows and films. Notice head position, hand gestures, and eye movement. How does body language affect how you feel about the intended visual or verbal message? Children could cut out postures and expressions from print advertisements (magazines and newspapers) and see if they can find those postures and expressions on TV or in movies. How important is body language to convey persuasive visual messages?

23. Variations on a story.

Look at how a particular story is handled differently by different channels. Use videotaped shows to compare. What are the differences? What are the similarities?

24. Quick problem solving.

Point out to your child how quick problems are solved on many TV shows. Discuss the differences in dealing effectively with challenges in real life. You may want to include in your discussion what processes you go through to identify, confront, and resolve problems.

25. Put words in their mouth.

As a family watch a favorite program with the sound off. Try to figure out what each of the characters in the show is saying. Discuss why you believe that based on past knowledge of the program and how the characters are behaving. Encourage your child to think about how he or she would write the script for each of the characters. What are the important things that they say? Why are these considered important?

26. Make your own family TV Guide.

Gather your child/ren and ask them to make a family TV Guide for the upcoming week. What programs would they include? What programs would they make sure not to include? Ask them to give reasons for their choices.

27. Thinking ahead to predict what might happen.

This is a great activity for school-age children who may need guidance in watching their favorite programs while you can’t be there with them. Give your child a written list of 3-5 general questions that they can read before they watch a TV show. Consider such questions as: “What do you think this program will be about? What do you anticipate the main character’s troubles will be? How will he/she resolve them? Why are you watching this show and not doing something else?” Instruct your child to think about the questions while viewing-no need to write anything down-just think. As your child watches, he/she won’t be able to stop thinking about these questions-it’s just how the brain works. Intermittently, ask your child to discuss the TV program with you, along with how this activity helps to think about the program!

28. Ask: “What will happen next?”

This is a simple, yet effective activity. Mute the commercials while your family watches TV together and ask each child and adult what he/she thinks will happen next. There are no right or wrong answers! This gives everyone a chance to engage in creative interplay and then to test his/her “hypothesis” when the show resumes. Children may learn just how predictable and mundane a lot of programs are and soon improve on the scriptwriters, adding their own creative ideas!

29. Record your child’s favorite show.

Then play it back during a long car trip or around a cozy fireplace on a dark winter evening. The purpose of this activity would be for your child to hear the program, without seeing the visuals. Talk about how the characters and their actions change as a result of only hearing the show. Does your child have to listen more intently? Why or why not? What are some crucial distinctions between watching and listening?

30. Encourage your child or teen to be a media creator.

Ultimately what we want is for our children to find ways to creatively express who they are. You can encourage a child to use a digital camera and make a photo collage of a family trip, for instance. Older children and teens can create websites, blogs, even podcasts. Screen technologies are powerful tools and when used intentionally, with specific purposes, our children become media-literate in the process of learning more about their own creativity and unique skills.

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15 Media Activities for Children, ages 3-6

Screen Violence

1. Talk about real-life consequences.

If the screen violence were happening in real life, how would the victim feel? In real life what would happen to the perpetrator of the violence. Compare what’s on the screen to the consequences of what happens when someone hurts another person in the real world.

2. Violence is not the way to solve problems.

Emphasize that hurting another person in any way or destroying property is wrong and won’t solve a person’s problems. Point out to your child that many of the violent cartoon characters never seem to solve their problems from episode to episode, and that to use violence is to act without thinking of the consequences. Tell your child it’s powerful and smart to find peaceful, creative ways to solve problems with other human beings. Choose a problem your child encountered recently such as another child taking a toy away and talk about the reasonable way the problem was resolved or could have been resolved-without hurting.

3. Anger is natural.

Talk about the fact that we all get angry, that it’s normal. It’s what we do with our anger-how we cope with it and express it-that’s important. When screen characters hurt people out of anger, it’s because they have not learned how to deal with their anger. Your child could make a list of screen characters who know how to deal with their anger in positive ways.

4. Count the number of violent acts.

While watching a favorite cartoon with your child, count the number of actual violent actions. Point out that these are harmful to others and you would never allow him/her to do such things to others. Total the number of violent actions at the end of the program and ask your child if he/she thought there were that many. Decide not to watch cartoons or any shows with such violent actions.

5. Talk about real and pretend.

If your child is exposed to a violent movie or video game, it is especially important to talk with him/her about the fact that the images were pretend-like when your child plays pretend and that no one was actually hurt. Make it a common practice to talk about the differences between real and pretend with any TV programs, movies, your child watches. Understanding this concept basic to becoming media-literate!

Screen Advertising

6. Blind taste test.

Show your child how she can test the claims of commercials. Have her do a blind taste test. It can be done with a wide range of foods such as three or four kinds of soda pop, spaghetti sauce, cereal-your child’s favorites. Are the products as great as the commercials claimed? Can she tell the difference between a generic brand and a famous one? Can she identify products by name? Do the commercials make products seem different than they really are? Why or why not? This is a fun activity to do with several children. Have a taste test party!

7. Draw pictures of a feeling.

Suggest that your child draw a picture depicting how he feels after watching two different types of TV commercials. What are the differences between the pictures? Discuss your child’s feelings about the different commercial messages. Picture the buyer. Younger children can watch a commercial and then draw a picture of the type of person they think will buy the product. After discussing the child’s picture, explain how various audience appeals are used in commercials to attract specific audiences.

8. Cartoon ads.

While watching cartoons, your child can look for specific cartoon characters that appear in popular commercials. Explain the differences between the commercial and the cartoon: In the commercial, the character sells a product; in the cartoon, the character entertains us. The next time she watches TV, have her report to you if she sees any cartoon characters selling products.

9. The toy connection.

When visiting a toy store, you and your child can look for toys that have been

advertised on TV or promoted by TV personalities. Point out to him how the toys advertised on TV initially seem more attractive than those he hasn’t seen advertised.

10. Invent a character.

Your child can pick a product, such as a favorite cereal, and create an imaginary character that can be used to sell the product. He/she could draw a picture or role-play the character. Or, using puppets, stage an imaginative commercial for a made-up product. Afterwards discuss with your child what she or he did to tell people about the product. Watch a few commercials and point out basic selling techniques such as making the product looking larger than life, repeating a jingle, and showing happy children using the product.

Screen News

TV news contains elements that may not be appropriate for young children. As much as possible, watch news when your child is in bed or not in the room. Protect your little one from graphic images and topics that she/he is not ready to handle cognitively or emotionally.

Screen Stereotypes

11. Not better, just different.

Children are never too young to start learning the message that differences do not make anyone better than anyone else. Point out how each family member has his or her own individual preferences, habits, ideas, and behaviors. Differences make us all unique and interesting. When your child sees a racist or sexist stereotype on the screen, explain that the writers of the script made an error in portraying the character in that light.

12. Change the picture.

Play a game with your child: When she encounters a screen stereotype, ask her whether other types of people could play that role. For instance, if the secretary is a young woman, explain that men are secretaries, too, and that many older women are very competent secretaries.

13. Girls, boys, and toys.

As you walk through a toy store, point out various toys to your child, asking each time whether the toy is made for a boy or a girl. Ask if any child could just as well play with the toy. Encourage your child to find toys that would be fun for girls and boys to play with. Then, when your child sees toy commercials on TV, point out whether only little boys or little girls are playing with the toys.

14. Play: Who is missing?

Often what children see on the screen does not represent all nationalities and the diversity he or she encounters in preschool, kindergarten, or on the playground. While watching favorite cartoons or movies with your child, discuss who is missing-such as an older person; a disabled person, or a person of a certain race or nationality. You can also discuss what types of people your child encounters more often on the screen-young, glamorous, happy white people usually take up the majority of the visual images with men outnumbering women 3 to 1!

15. Model discussion of screen stereotypes.

When your family watches a favorite TV program or a popular DVD, you can help your youngster identify stereotypical roles, behaviors, and attitudes by holding family conversations to involve your spouse and/or older children. While watching the program or movie, the adults and the older children take notes, tracking whenever they spot a stereotype of age, gender, or race. After watching, turn off the TV/VCR and discuss everyone’s observations. Using each family member’s notes, compile a master list of the stereotypical statements and portrayals that were noted. This discussion can be made more interesting if you taped the program (or replay the DVD in appropriate scene/s), so you can refer back to it as family members discuss the stereotypes they spotted. Your little one will listen to this family media literacy conversation and absorb important information while the others share their ideas.

Mixed Media Art is a creative outlet that is available to everyone, regardless of your artist skill level and what materials you have at hand. While there are many techniques and skills you will develop as you progress, all you need to begin is the desire to create something.

What is Mixed Media Art?

“Mixed media art” is a broad definition that covers many arts and crafts, including handmade cards, collage, altered objects (like books or boxes), book making and art journalling, to name a few. Even scrapbooking can fall under this category; you’re using papers and photos and other bits and pieces – therefore you are using “mixed media”.

What do I need to get started?

The great thing about creating a piece of mixed media art is the flexibility to start with things around you. To get started you need a substrate or base. This could be a nice sheet of paper or cardboard, a sketchbook, a cereal box or anything else that you have at hand. Then you’ll need something to stick with – glue sticks are fine to begin with. Coloured papers, pictures and anything else that grabs your eye can then be stuck onto the base. This is the collage part of the mixed media art genre.

If you are more interested in drawing or painting, then when you have your base or substrate, you’ll need something to make a mark, whether its pencils, paints, crayons, markers or pastels. All of these things can be used in different ways to achieve varied effects. And they can be used in combination or separately. Of course, as we are aiming for “mixed” media, then the more different tools you used the more mixed it will be.

Another attractive feature of Mixed Media Art is that you don’t need fine art or drawing skills. That doesn’t mean you are excluded from mixed media art if you do have these skills, but it opens up a world of creativity for the rest of us who like to make things but “Can’t draw”. To get started is as simple as being able to use a pencil, scissors and glue. These skills will expand and develop with practice. More complicated skills of mixing paints and developing your “artist eye” will happen as you expand your own creativity. Specific skills for particular media or art types will present themselves as you move into these areas. As with many things in life, the techniques and teachers will appear when you are ready.

Where do you suggest I start?

Let’s begin with a simple project, using materials that aren’t too expensive. For some people it’s hard to start if we feel we are “wasting” our things while trying something new. With simple starting materials, those new to mixed media projects can jump in without worrying about this aspect.

Find an old cereal box, cut carefully along the folds and cut off the tab ends, so you are left with a good sized, flat piece of cardboard. Place it on a flat surface, with the inner, non-printed side facing you. Dig out your paints and paint brushes, and choose two or three colours that take your fancy. If you are not confident is combing colours, choose one colour with three different shades. Then get painting! You don’t need a pallet; either squeeze a little paint out straight onto the surface or squeeze a little up that can be taken onto the brush. Don’t feel shy – create swirls and lines and squiggles. Just get a good coverage of paint around the piece of card board. It doesn’t have to be completely covered. Leave that to dry for a bit, then add the next colour. After drying, repeat with the third colour. Leave the piece to dry completely. If it buckles a little, sit it under a heavy book and it will flatten out again.

By waiting for each layer to dry, each colour will get it’s own space and not blend with the other colours. I often work from lightest colour to darkest, using less paint on each layer. But there are no rights or wrongs with this process; just go with what feels good for you.

Now gather up your bits and pieces. Often a mixed media piece will contain an image, some words or text and a few pretty things or embellishments. Lay these out on your piece and get the feel for how your bits sit and mix with the other bits. Try moving some parts to overlap other items. When you are happy with the arrangement, start glueing layers down. Remember to start with the bottom most pieces first. Once all bits are glue down, leave to dry.

And now you have done it – you have created your first piece of mixed media art! Make it the first of many!

You will only get better with more practice. So, happy creating!