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Media Literacy for the Youngest Viewers

There's a lot of talk these days about television's harmful effects on children, about the importance of limiting the time they spend in front of video screens and even of turning off the television altogether. But not only is banning TV unrealistic and unappealing for many parents, some experts say you'd be doing your kids a grave disservice in the process.

"We live in a world where kids are surrounded by screens," says Tessa Jolls, President and CEO of the Center for Media Literacy. "It's television. It's cell phones. It's internet. It's games. There isn't a place these kids turn that they are not using a screen, and that includes really little kids. Parents working with their kids and watching with their kids is really the best way to encourage a child to be an active viewer and an active media user rather than a passive consumer of media."

Kids today are bombarded with media messages from a very early age, and even young children are often the target of aggressive marketing campaigns. Children are increasingly being considered a viable market for advertisers with billion dollar budgets, and national corporations strive to "brand" our little ones by developing consumer loyalty as early as possible. Helping children develop critical thinking skills to control their viewing experiences and interpret the media messages that bombard them every day is more important now than ever. It's the new literacy, "media literacy," and the education begins at home.

Every viewing experience you share with your child -- including television, movies and videos -- offers an opportunity to teach media literacy. The Center for Media Literacy (www.medialit.org) has developed five simple questions for parents and teachers who want to educate children to become media savvy as early as possible. "We use these questions as a starting point," says Jolls, "to give parents a framework to start exploring media with their kids, build vocabulary, and have a really good way of talking about what they're seeing." She suggests parents keep these questions in mind whenever they watch television with their children:

The Center for Media Literacy's
Five Key Questions That Can Save the World

Who created this message? This question introduces children to the concept that "all media are constructed," that is, someone put this all together. Start by showing children the different parts of a program. Turn off the sound, for example, then ask your kids, "How is the experience different with the sound off?" Similarly, you can turn off the video and just listen to the soundtrack. This is also a great way to introduce the important concept of what is real and what is unreal.

What techniques are used to attract my attention? Help children identify and discuss what they see, hear, and feel when they watch television, as well as what they like and dislike.

How might other people understand this message differently from me? Ask children how they feel about what they're watching and see if they can imagine how someone else might feel. Would everybody feel the same way? "We really want them to try to put themselves in someone else's shoes," says Jolls.

What lifestyles, values, and points of view are represented in, or omitted from, this message? This is a great way to introduce values to young children. Discuss the characters' situations and behaviors. What does this tell us about how other people live and behave? Is anything or anyone left out? "This gives them the concept that what they're seeing is only one take on the world," explains Jolls.

Why was this message sent? Based on the concept that "all media messages are organized for profit and/or power," says Jolls, this question challenges children to ask, "Is this trying to sell me something? Is this trying to tell me something?"

"What we're really doing," explains Jolls, "is helping children explore the media world and at the same time explore their own world. The important thing is that as a parent, we have a role to play in how they experience that world. We all know our kids are around lots of different people and lots of different situations. We want to give them skills so that they can deal with any situation or any person that comes their way, and the media world can help do that in a safe way." In addition to the five key questions, activities like the ones below can help even very young children develop a solid foundation in media literacy to last a lifetime.

When you watch videos, DVDs, or any other form of recorded programming with your kids, says Jolls, take the opportunity to pause the program and talk about what you're seeing, hearing, and feeling. This gives you a chance to discuss things that might be confusing to your child and to talk about values that may or may not be reflected in the programming. "We don't have to just sit there," she adds. "Watching and using media really gives us a great chance to talk about our own values. It gives us a great chance to talk about the behavior we're seeing on screen and the consequences of that behavior or (the lack of) consequences. It gives us a chance to talk about what kinds of people (are portrayed) and what kind of life they are leading. It gives us a chance to really examine what's going on and have some fun talking about it."
Challenge your children to look for product placements in the television shows and movies they watch. See how many products or brands your children can recognize, then discuss with them why seeing those products might encourage people to buy them. "My kids have made a game out of it," says Jolls. "We'll go to a movie and they'll tell me how many products they saw or what they saw. Now they're teenagers but we started this when they were very little."
Another strategy for helping young children understand the marketing that targets them so prevalently is to explore the products your child sees on TV. If you know she wants a certain toy because she saw it on a commercial, find the item the next time you go shopping. Look at it with her and discuss whether or not it looks the same as it did in on television. Does it do the same things? Does it make the same sounds?
Helping children understand that all media are created by people, says Jolls, gives them control over their viewing experiences. If children are frightened by something they see or hear, turn off the sound. "It's amazing how the whole viewing experience changes, because sound really is the language of emotion," Jolls explains, noting that scary music, sad music, and even happy music signal viewers to feel a certain way. Show your child he's in control of his experience: If he's frightened or disturbed by something he's watching, he has the power to turn off the sound or turn off the program altogether.
An added benefit of focusing on how media is created, says Managing Editor for the Coalition for Quality Children's Media KIDS FIRST! program, Christine Pollock, is that it allows families with children of different ages to continue to watch together. Rather than exposing young children to their older siblings' programming, which is often inappropriate, Pollock suggests talking with older children about how their younger siblings' shows are created. "You start looking at it from an older kid angle, as far as the cinematography or the animation so they can make their own someday," she explains. "My 12-year-old will watch Berenstein Bears, but he's pulling it apart and analyzing it, so we can have the sweet and innocent shows on for the little ones and it can still be a shared group experience."

When you begin teaching your children media literacy skills at an early age, says Jolls, "you are really teaching your children to be lifelong learners. That is the skill that we want to see here because these kids will be exposed to media and using media from around the world all their lives, 24/7, and they need the process skills so that they know how to navigate their world and become the agents of change." It's never too early to become an active viewer and an educated consumer: Shouldn't your little ones be media literate?

At Baby Classroom, we encourage parents to enjoy quality children's programming with their little ones. Read Educational Television: It's Not an Oxymoron to find out how you can turn TV time into learning time every day!