Help your kids to question what they see and hear in the media and to manage their screen time.
Use media together and talk about what you see, hear and read.
- Whenever you can, watch, play, listen and surf with your kids and talk about the content. When you can’t be there, ask them about the media they’ve used.
- Practice media literacy — help kids question and analyze media messages by sharing your values. Let them know how you feel about solving problems with violence, stereotyping people, selling products using sex or cartoon characters, or advertising to kids in schools or in movie theaters.
- Help kids connect what they learn in the media to events and other activities in which they’re involved, like playing sports and creating art, in order to broaden their understanding of the world.
Voice your opinion and keep informed.
- Write a letter or send an email to let media companies and government representatives know what you like and don’t like about media. Make sure to also let advertisers who sponsor the media know how you feel too. And don’t forget to compliment when you like something and would like to see more of it!
- Help kids write letters when they want people who produce media to know how they feel.
- Keep informed about policy and research concerning children and media. See more on Common Sense Media.
