Media education for democracy: Integration of the skills of young and old

Anniversary Celebration

On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Institute for Media Responsibility, the event will explore how the artificially created gap between generations can be bridged. How can the curiosity and openness of youth be combined with the experiential knowledge of older generations? In the interest of the IT industry, so-called "digital natives" are often idealized as being better equipped for the digital world than their parents and grandparents. However, studies contradict this assumption. Gerald Lembke, a professor of digital media, speaks of the "digital education lie" and sharpens the title of his book: "Why Our Children Are Unlearning How to Learn." The acquisition of media literacy begins with the first picture book, schoolbooks, print media, audio, and finally video/TV. Therefore, a school subject on media education must not be limited to digitalization; media is a cross-cutting issue for all other areas of knowledge—critical reflection on opinion-forming…