Building a Media-Savvy Society Begins at Home
Information is everywhere. That’s why it’s more important than ever for parents to help their kids navigate the digital landscape.
Whether it’s news or social media, today’s kids are constantly exposed to content that they may not fully understand—or worse, could be misleading. One thing is for certain: The best place to teach kids how to think critically, spot misinformation, and engage with media in a healthy way, is in the home.
5 Tips for Building Media Savvy
1.Teach Your Kids to Question – Introduce basic fact-checking to your children. Teach them to ask “who, what, where, when, why” about the news and information they see. Read news articles together to begin a healthy habit!
2. Look for Reason, Not Emotion – Watch for emotionally charged headlines. News that provokes strong emotions is often designed to manipulate you, a common “fake news” technique. Teach your children to seek out facts.
3. Design a Healthy Media Diet – Don’t rely on a single news source. Encourage your family to follow a mix of local, national, and international outlets for a balanced view of current events. Research news outlets for quality journalism before following them on social media.
4. Look for Balance — and Bias – A variety of experts should be quoted in a news story to provide balanced information. If a story is unbalanced, beware of bias. Point it out in news reports when you see it. Discuss how the framing of a story might influence perception.
5. Become a News Advocate — Share credible stories, support local journalism, and call out misinformation when you see it. You’ll be doing yourself, your family, your community and your country a favor.
Creating a healthy media habit for children will be a skill that enhances their lives, broadens their outlook and helps them understand the world and how they can help make it a better place.
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