LA Maker Faire: Creation vs. Consumption

When Health-e-Habits took the stage at the Los Angeles City of STEM Maker Faire, we addressed a seeming paradox: How does a media literacy organization dedicated to fighting the attention economy fit into a festival celebrating technology and engineering?

The answer is simple: Media literacy and STEM go hand in hand. In fact, STEM is the ultimate antidote to passive digital consumption.

The platforms dominating our kids' screens are engineered to keep them completely passive. Infinite scrolling and manipulative game lobbies don't require thought, they just require time. STEM is the exact opposite. Whether it is coding a new program, engineering a bridge, or cooperating on a robotics team, STEM demands active problem-solving, critical thinking, and strategy.

Media literacy is the first step in this process. By teaching students how to decode the internet and recognize when an algorithm is trying to hijack their attention, we break the cycle of passive consumption. Once their attention is freed up, STEM provides the perfect outlet to redirect that energy. It transforms kids from passive users being manipulated by the digital world into active creators capable of building a better one.