Why Media Literacy Might be the #1 Most Important 21st Century Skill for Your Kids
This week is National Media Literacy Week - I know it doesn’t sound very sexy or festive or exciting, but it’s actually a really big deal and I’m going to tell you why!
When you think about it, before the 24/7 news cycle, constant access to information in our pockets and the infiltration of ads into all of our public spaces, kids used to get most of their information from sources they pretty much knew they could trust - their family, legitimate news outlets or the library to name a few.
These days it’s different. Kids get just as much- if not more - information about the world around them from the media. Whether it’s websites, adds, social media or games, messaging is all around them all the time. All of this information influences how children perceive and understand the world. As adults we know that much of the information that is thrust upon us is just marketing or scams meant to trick us into giving up valuable information or money. But we’ve also seen that even the savviest among us can be easily manipulated by messaging that may not even be accurate or reliable.
By teaching our kids to become critical thinkers, creators and skeptics when it comes to media, we give them an invaluable skill that will protect them and help them to make sound choices online as they get older. I absolutely love what The National Association for Media Literacy Education states in their parent guide,
“Teach your kids to ask questions. By teaching them to be critical thinkers and informed skeptics, you will give them the ultimate tool to succeed in the digital world. They will learn how to analyze and evaluate the messages they are receiving. They will grow to be aware of issues like bias and credibility. They will learn empathy and compassion. They will learn to be an active participant in the world as opposed to being a passive consumer.”
YES! YES! YES!
Some of the responsibility for this kind of education needs to rest in the hands of our educators, unfortunately, this is not common practice yet (though it’s getting there!). So we as parents can start to teach our kids the basics ourselves, and you know what? It’s not that hard and sometimes it’s actually pretty fun. To get you started I’ve pulled this graphic from the NAMLE parent guide:
NAMLE Parent Guide
Now let’s talk about how you can use these day to day with your kids.
One of the easiest and most fun ways is by watching commercials together. If your kids are watching live tv or even YouTube, chances are they are watching commercials. I know a lot of parents try to keep their kids away from commercials and actually mine almost never see them - the exception to that is when we watch live sports - but when they do, we’ve made a pretty fun game out of it. First, explain to your kids that commercials are different from the rest of the content they watch because commercials are there to convince us to buy something. Then, when a commercial comes on, have fun picking it apart. Questions to ask: What do you think this commercial is trying to sell to us? What tactics do they use (humor, inspiration, making something look AMAZING!!!!) Did this commercial work on you? Why?
How about when you’re driving around or walking through the city or your hometown? There is advertising everywhere! Billboards, bus stops, shop windows. Take the same approach; ask your kids what they think a particular ad might be for? Why did they choose that particular image to try to sell you on something? What does the image represent? Does this ad work?
If your kids are starting to go online, use social media or play video games, explain to them what click bait is. Click bait is anything online that intends to grab your attention so that you click on it and a company makes money. How can they recognize click bait when they see it? Does it use very extreme language or make promises that seem too good to be true? Is it using gossip as a lure?
For kids who are on social media (especially girls), it’s important to talk to them about how “real” the images they see of people are. Do most people post “perfect” shots of themselves? Why? How do they attain a “perfect” look? Can one quick image give us a full representation of how a person is feeling or what they believe or who they are? When we post online are WE selling something (an idea of who we are maybe...)?
Once your child starts using the internet for research or to verify information it will be time for you to sit with them and explain that they need to be skeptical or the information they read and then check their sources. Explain how they can know if a source is credible (is it coming from a reputable source? Does the web address look legitimate? Can they find other sources to back up the claim? If need be, have them look up the claim on a fact checking site like snopes)
The point is there are opportunities for learning and teaching all around us. The aim is to get your kids looking closely, thinking critically and not just passively accepting the information around them. Our kids are growing up in an age where becoming savvy consumers of information is an essential life skill. Let’s get them started on the right track early!
To get your kids thinking about this on their own, here are two books they’ll love:
Petra’s Power to See, age 9+
Berenstain Bears: The Trouble With Commercials, age 5+
And lastly, in July Senator Amy Klobuchar introduced a bill to congress to promote digital citizenship and media literacy in schools. You can read about it here. And if you think it’s important then you can send a quick email to your representatives asking them to support it.