In the absence of proper legislation dictating when and to whom major brands can advertise to, parents must find alternative ways to shield their children from the negative effects of consumerism and social media. Some of these strategies include promoting media literacy in the home to better prepare children to recognize and resist persuasive media messaging, as well as finding ways to limit consumptive screen time (Sramova, 2013; Twigg et al., 2020). Media literacy is defined as “the ability of an individual to analyze, evaluate and create information for various types of the media by means of using different literary genres and forms” (Sramova, 2013). Given the dynamic nature of the internet age, media literacy is a complicated and ever changing skill. This is just one of the many reasons parents must continue to have conversations with their children and encourage them to question the messages being broadcast to them on a daily basis. Some of the ways parents can do this with younger children specifically, is by actively consuming media with them, and asking guiding questions (Common Sense Media, 2021). Examples of these questions are:
- “What is this advertisement about?”
- “What is the message?”
- “Who is conveying the message?”
- “What is their point of view/motivation?”
- “How do you know what they are saying is true/accurate?”
Helping to guide children as they work their way through this complicated process of realization and critical thinking can greatly aid in their ability to see through the persuasive messaging presented to them on a daily basis. As opposed to simply communicating rules on how and how not to consume media, scholars suggest involving the child by asking them to explain the kind of content they like to consume and why. This kind of honest and open conversation both educates the parent on the media that is reaching the child and allows for education as opposed to punishment when it comes to risky or disingenuous media (Bologna, 2020).
The topic of how to limit a child’s exposure to TV and internet has been a hot topic of debate over the last 20 years, with older generations struggling to understand the apparent dependence of young children on their devices. However, one thing that many parents neglect to understand about media consumption is that children today are more restricted than ever in their ability to be outside alone, especially with the emergence of the novel coronavirus. For this reason, limiting screen time could have the profoundly negative effect of isolating a child from their friends via the internet (Fisk, 2017). So how can parents maintain control of a child’s access to media without interrupting their beneficial social activities? This answer is complicated, and must be altered based on a child’s specific needs and maturity level (Fisk, 2017). However, the general best way to steer your child away from consumerism through the media is by leading them in the direction of creativity over consumption (Heitner, 2015). There is a distinct difference between a child who is using a tablet to binge watch a new Netflix series and a child using a tablet to create graphic art and collages of their favorite things. One of the best ways to do this is by setting screen time limits that are content specific. For example, a child who uses their tablet to make songs on Garageband may only need a screen time limit on streaming services or social media.
At the end of the day all of these tips must be taken with a grain of salt, as every child and their relationship to media and consumption is different. Therefore the key to keeping your child safe and happy is to maintain awareness of their needs and tendencies and promote healthy communication about how to consume media in a healthy and educated way.
Bologna, C. (2020). How to Teach Kids Media Literacy. HuffPost. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/parents-teach-kids-media-literacy_l_5fab43e3c5b6ed84597c3fc4
Common Sense Media (2021). How Can I Use TV and Movies to Teach My Kids Media Literacy? https://www.commonsensemedia.org/news-and-media-literacy/how-can-i-use-tv-and-movies-to-teach-my-kids-media-literacy
Fisk, N. (2017). ‘Screen Time’ is About More than Setting Limits. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/screen-time-is-about-more-than-setting-limits-79538
Heitner, D. (2015). Thinking Beyond Screen Time: Creativity over Consumption. Raising Digital Natives. https://www.raisingdigitalnatives.com/thinking-beyond-screentime/
Sramova, B. (2013). Media literacy and Marketing Consumerism Focused on Children. Procedia; Social and Behavioral Sciences. 141(2014) 1025-1030. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.05.172
Twigg L., Duncan C., Weich S. (2020). Is social media use associated with children’s well-being? Results from the UK Household Longitudinal Study. Journal of Adolescence, 80(2020) 73-83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2020.02.002.