Mentoring

In our world today, from morning until evening we are surrounded by different means and devices which can easily connect us to the online world. And rightly said, it is a world quite different from this physical world, with its advantages and challenges. Media according to the Oxford Dictionary is “the main means of mass communication that includes broadcasting, publishing, and the internet”. We can attest to the fact that the internet has gained more popularity and usage compared to its counterparts. Nonetheless there are different people who still believe that they have read a book only if they are able to flip its pages with their hands, and smell the scent of paper. And others trust in listening to the radio stations and watching TV programs that have existed for some good years now. Most times we tend to choose the programs that we are interested in, but do we really acquire the desired knowledge and message as well? In a great sense we may see that we choose the program but the content we receive is determined by the producers based on their intention for passing on that message. Using traditional media as compared to surfing on the internet for things to watch, read and programs to interact with are quite different. While browsing on the internet we often times get suggestions of reels, for example, which we might be interested in to watch or articles which we might be interested in reading. There is a time when one holiday morning I had decided to check what was online and at first there were good reels according to my preference which were popping up. However, after watching a couple of them, I received one that showed an accident, and then as I continued scrolling more death related reels kept popping up. With the hope that something good, funny or lively would pop up, I kept on scrolling, and it was only after an hour of watching death related reels when I discovered that firstly, I had spent more than an hour watching reels and because they were death related, I was feeling quite low and sad naturally. It took some effort on my part to pick up from this sad mood and lighten up again. On the other hand, I have been quite interested in learning how to cook different dishes, and when a reel I had come across on a cooking channel finished playing, more similar reels came my way and by the end of the day I had gathered a good number of recipes which I had then planned to try out and use them to give a treat to my community members. In the quest for striking a balance in my usage of the media I came across a video produced by Media Literacy Now which presented a couple of questions that can help us to gain media literacy skills. There said in the use of media one should be able to ask these five questions; who created the message? What creative techniques are used to attract my attention? How might different people understand this message differently from me? What lifestyles, values, and points of view are represented in, or omitted from this message? Why is the message being sent? If and when we are able to begin responding to these guiding questions with the content that we consume through the media, we will have began gaining Media literacy skills. And in so doing we may not suffer from some effects like the fear of missing out (FOMO), consumerism, media addiction, and following dangerous challenges, among others. We are not only responsible for our own Media usage and literacy, but we are also encouraged to go out and assist those who are still vulnerable and Media illiterate, so that the media space may be a safe space for us all, with plenty of benefits to be utilised.

Media literacy is the ability to access, analyse, evaluate, and create messages in a variety of forms from print to video to the internet. It builds the understanding of the role of media in society as well as essential skills of inquiry and self-expression necessary for all. Since we live in a world shaped by media values, messages and technologies, media literacy is an educational and faith formation imperative for the twenty-first century.[1]       From media literacy, we advance to media mindfulness which calls for critical thinking skills and the ability to question the media to discern the values and ideologies of media messages and engage them with the values presented by Jesus. Media mindfulness is a guide for investigating culture, understanding the world, and making media choices consistent within the faith for kids, teens and grown-ups. When put into consideration, media mindfulness skills can empower young people into wise consumers and producers of media.[2]       ‘Media mindfulness’ is not only refreshing, but it offers critical thinking and a way of viewing opportunities engaging young people in a better understanding of the media and their popular culture, choices and decisions. Today, we live in a world where media is pervasive. Consumerism which has been highly promoted by the media, in most cases, undermines the meaning and value of family and worst integrity of the human person.[3]       Although media are gifts from God, they are not used as they are supposed to, and oftentimes, they do not reflect the truth and the beauty they are made to portray. Media literacy does not mean that one should be afraid of the media or means of communication or one should stop watching but that one should do everything carefully and think critically.[4] [1] Gretchen Hailer, and Rose Pacatte, Our Media World; Teaching Kids K-8 About Faith and Media, 6. [2] Pauline Center for Media Studies, Accessed 24/7/2021, https://media.pauline.org/Resources/Blog/ArticleID/3477/Media-Mindfulness-Part-6-practical-application. [3] Gretchen Hailer, and Rose Pacatte, I. [4]  Gretchen Hailer, and Rose Pacatte, 5.

Relationships is a very wide topic, I just want to share with you what I think about it, knowing that when I finish there will still be more to be said. It is a topic that arouses the curiosity of young people because they have a particular/ restricted idea about it. We will see that Friendship and relationship between boys and girls is very wide and rich. To relate with somebody is a very basic human need. Since we are all human, young and old alike we find ourselves making friends with whom we can relate and share joys, problems, interests. We are social beings and as such we need others to socialize and it has been like this since the beginning of human race. In fact we read in Genesis, “God said: it is not good that man should be alone. I will make a helpmate for him” (Gen.2:18) so it is very normal for a young man or a young woman to desire to have and keep friends. But now I would like to ask you a question: Do you know who a friend is? A friend is: A person familiar to you. A person who understands and cares for you. A person whom you like. A person who helps you and is available in moments of need. A person whom you feel at ease with, you feel happy, free with. A person with whom you wish to stay, to talk, to share, and to do many things together. You will recognize a friend in moments of need because, a friend is expected to show trust, loyalty, generosity, and concern for the other. When a person is ready to help you in spite of losing time or losing goods or may be precious opportunities in order to assist you or to be near you and to help you without taking any advantage for her/himself, that is a real friend. This kind of friendship gives to the person a lot of moral support and a sense of belonging which each human being needs very much. When we hear or read something about relationship and friendship between boys and girls, we become curious and we want to know more and more. It is a topic of special interests to young people like you. Many young people ask: How can I make the right choice of a boy or girl friend since they are so many at my disposal? To get the right friend, boy/girl, you have to be the right friend. It is important to cultivate the qualities of a good character within yourself before you look out for these qualities in another person. So it is necessary and important: Also very important is to remember that friendship is something that you build together gradually as you grow in the knowledge of one another. To go too fast, sometimes might cause a wrong choice; you need to know and to learn how to live a life of friendship with the friends of the opposite sex. Friendship between boys and girls is not something that you can buy at the market, but something that you build up little starting with very small things, gentleness, friendly gestures, effort to understand others and sharing together. Jesus called his disciples friends and he shows us what friendship means when he says: “A man can have no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends” (Jn 15:13) So, friendship in Jesus’ mind and teaching means acting for the good of the friend. We too can be his friends if we do what he commands us (Jn 15:14) this is the ideal type of friendship and relationship that we have to aim at. Unfortunately we know that often, instead of looking to build up a good relationship and friendship, boys and girls think too much about sex. Friendship and relationship means for them that boys can have girls and girls can have boys to enjoy themselves. And they could also say: I am young and I must take advantage of this. If I feel like to have a girl, why should I deprive myself of such a pleasure if she is willing? But are we made only for this kind of pleasure? A healthy relationship is not made of self-gratification because in this way we will never be happy and satisfied. As Christian youths let us make our friendships with the opposite sex holy and keep our bodies pure for God’s dwelling. Sr Catherine Wanza, Fsp