02 Sep Media Literacy and Your Family

In today’s world, kids are surrounded by media: from YouTube videos and TikTok clips to classroom projects powered by AI. While these tools can spark creativity and learning, they also bring challenges: misinformation, disinformation, and overwhelming amounts of content. Helping children build media literacy skills is one of the best ways parents can prepare them to navigate this environment with confidence.

What is Media Literacy?

At its core, media literacy is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create information across all types of media. For kids, that means learning how to:

• Ask critical questions: Who made this? Why?
• Distinguish between facts, opinions, and advertisements.
• Recognize when something might be misleading or manipulated.

Research shows children and teens often struggle to identify credible information online. In one large study, even so-called “digital natives” were easily misled by political content and didn’t understand terms like sponsored content. That’s why experts recommend beginning media literacy education as early as elementary school.

Why It Matters for Families

1. The rise of misinformation – From viral TikTok rumors to just everyday internet surfing, kids are encountering content that isn’t always accurate. Misleading information can affect how they see the world, their communities, and their understanding of different topics.

2. The role of technology and AI – Many news organizations now use AI to produce stories. At the same time, AI-powered “bots” can create and spread false stories online5. Children need support learning how to question what they see.

3. Information overload – Teachers report that both students and teachers often feel overwhelmed. Information overload can lead to procrastination and passivity, as well as reduced capacity to focus and direct attention. The challenge is no longer finding information, but figuring out what is high-quality and trustworthy.
   

Practical Tips for Parents

• Talk openly about all kinds of media. Ask your child what they’re watching, listening, reading, or learning about, and practice looking up sources together.

• Introduce the vocabulary starting as early as you can, preferably even before they start to use the internet. These words give kids tools to label what they see. If they can label what they see, they’ll be able to recognize it for what it is and even discuss it if they have questions.
  • Here’s some vocab you can introduce:
    • Propaganda
    • Satire
    • Clickbait
    • sponsored content
    • Misinformation
    • Disinformation
    • Hoax

• Encourage “think first, share later.” Many people repost stories before checking accuracy. Model pausing to verify before sharing, even if it is just a silly meme or joke.

• Practice with real-life examples. Explore headlines together and ask: Does this seem true? Where else can we check?
  

MediaWise: A Resource

One excellent resource for families is MediaWise, a program from the Poynter Institute dedicated to helping people of all ages separate fact from fiction online.

• MediaWise has programs specifically for teens as well as older adults, but their videos and explainers are accessible for parents and kids alike. They post TikToks, Instagram reels, and other social media videos made by teens that teach how to approach information you come across online.
• Their courses and guides explain trending misinformation, offer fact-checking tools, and provide step-by-step strategies for children evaluating online content.
• They also have a How2Internet course that helps kids with internet literacy and safety.

Using MediaWise alongside everyday conversations at home can reinforce the skills children practice in school.

Moving Forward

Media literacy isn’t about making kids distrustful, it’s about giving them the confidence and curiosity to ask questions and think critically. 

Parents and caregivers play a huge role in guiding these habits. With the support of resources like MediaWise, teachers, librarians, and other tools, families can work together to ensure kids grow into thoughtful, informed media consumers.

Next time you visit the library, pick up one of our Media Literacy Bookmarks! They include quick questions you can use with your child to practice spotting trustworthy information.

References

1. De Jesus, I. Q., & Hubbard, J. (2021). Media literacy for elementary education students: Inquiry into fake news. The Social Studies, 112(3), 136–145. https://doi.org/10.1080/00377996.2020.1841717

2. Garrison, K., & Oddone, K. (2025). “It is a skill everybody needs to learn”: Australian teacher librarians steering secondary schools through shifting information landscapes. Journal of Information Literacy, 19(1), 48–68. http://dx.doi.org/10.11645/19.1.657

3. National Association for Media Literacy Education. (2024). Definition of media literacy. https://namle.org/resources/media-literacy-defined/

4. Poynter Institute. MediaWise. https://www.poynter.org/mediawise/

5. Saliu, H. (2024). Navigating media literacy in the AI era: Analyzing gaps in two classic media literacy books. Journal of Applied Learning & Teaching, 7(2). https://doi.org/10.37074/jalt.2024.7.2.25

Written by Madelyn K., Youth Services Librarian