There is avid discourse regarding the education of former and current students in secondary education, and whether or not they receive media literacy training. In online circles, educators and parents alike are speaking out about struggles children are facing in academic environments. The younger generation, Generation Alpha, are being enrolled in schools before learning how to read or hold a pencil. 

In addition to facing a lack of preparation for the American school system, the educators and students themselves are experiencing the repercussions of education gaps, screen time exposure and shrinking attention spans. Meanwhile, Generation Alpha still has to compete with their classmates and older generations. 

According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, overseen by the National Center for Education Statistics, 67% of fourth grade students are not proficient in reading. The percentage did drop four percent comparatively to 2019. 

From Media Literacy Now, there are three parts that form the definition of media literacy. These are the ability to decode messages, to assess the influence of those messages on thoughts, feelings and behavior, and to create media thoughtfully and conscientiously. 

Although online media is the primary focus of utilizing media literacy, it is not a new concept. There are current and recently graduating university students complaining about the lack of media literacy education throughout high school, but they are making an egregious oversight. English or Language Arts courses are mandated in the state of Pennsylvania up until grade 12. 

The majority of us had to attend a class, likely online or hybrid after the pandemic began, where we had to learn and regurgitate information for almost an entire year. Animal Farm, The Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mockingbird, Frankenstein and The Great Gatsby are all examples of required readings in high school, according to GoodReads. The format of secondary English classes does not only focus on the absorption of knowledge. The reader is there to draw in as much information directly applying to the story as possible, and understand the individual scenes of a story until the intent of the writer is clear. 

A TikTok from Nicole Brennan demonstrates the media literacy crisis through an anecdote detailing their experience overhearing a conversation where two individuals were not able to analyze and identify the symbolism of the green light at the end of The Great Gatsby, even while in a musical performance on Broadway. 

While it is pertinent to focus on media literacy with the advancement of technology, including the unchartered territory of the expansion of artificial intelligence, we need to pay attention to the education of the younger generation. This way, they are not completely set back by COVID-19 taking over several years of their life. 

There does not need to be hours of structured tutoring that parents have to pay extra for if their child does not demonstrate that academic need. However, caretakers and parents should read to their children, ask them questions about the text, and request they read children’s books aloud in order to identify any incongruences with their literacy skills regarding their grade level. With an increased focus on teaching reading comprehension to the new generation, media literacy will also increase.