If you don’t know how to use media, the media will use you.

That’s not theory. It’s reality.

Media is no longer something we watch or read. It surrounds us, speaks to us, tracks us, and prompts us—every single day. It doesn’t ask for permission. It doesn’t wait for a quiet moment. In fact, it steals silence from you.

According to eMarketer, the average American now spends more than 12 hours a day engaging with media across platforms. Even the conservative figure—8.5 hours daily, according to Nielsen—is still more time than we spend sleeping or working.

Because media is so immersive, most people don’t even realize how much of their day it shapes—because it doesn’t feel like media anymore. It feels like you. It is you. You are the algorithm.

It’s your Apple Watch tracking your steps and heart rate and feeding that data into an ad ecosystem. It’s Alexa reading you a recipe while noting your preferences and reminding you when to reorder supplies. It curates your playlists, suggests your next book, and reroutes your commute.

Still think media has no hold over you?

The Rules Have Changed

Somewhere along the way, the rules of media changed. But no announcement was made. America has been slow to respond.

Now, we’re seeing the consequences in our workforce.

We’ve built a society of users who are comfortable with technology—but not equipped to understand it. We know how to swipe, post, and stream—but we don’t understand how digital systems influence what we see, how we think, or the decisions we make.

That’s not just a media issue—it’s an economic one.

In 2023, nearly 70% of U.S. employers reported a critical digital skills gap in their workforce, citing a growing disconnect between the capabilities they need and what employees actually bring to the table. Meanwhile, American students are lagging behind their international peers. According to the International Computer and Information Literacy Study, U.S. eighth graders scored below the global average in computational thinking—basic digital problem-solving and logic skills necessary for any modern job.

This isn’t just about tech companies. It affects healthcare, logistics, finance, manufacturing, education—every industry that now runs on data and digital infrastructure.

A Major Mistake

We’re living in a media-driven world, yet we still treat media literacy as if it’s an elective. That’s a major mistake.

Media literacy isn’t just about spotting fake news or decoding headlines. It’s about understanding how digital systems operate—and how they shape decisions, behavior, and culture at scale. It’s the kind of literacy that affects hiring, internal communication, public reputation, and business strategy.

And that’s where the most successful leaders stand apart.

They know media is no longer just messaging—it’s infrastructure.

It shapes how your employees learn, how your customers think, how your brand is perceived, and how your industry evolves. It’s not a communications channel—it’s the ecosystem your organization operates in.

Smart leaders don’t just delegate media. They study how it moves. They understand that if their teams aren’t media-literate, they’re vulnerable. Executives who can read algorithmic patterns anticipate trends before they emerge.

Media literacy at the leadership level is operational awareness. It’s brand protection. It’s competitive advantage.

Media isn’t slowing down, and it certainly isn’t simplifying. It waits for no one. Which leaves us with only two options: We can learn how to use media or allow it to use us.

– Jaci Clement, CEO & Executive Director, jaci@fairmediacouncil.org

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