Each week of November, the Family Guide Web site will feature articles and resources about media literacy.

What is Media Literacy?
Media literacy is being able to analyze media messages, understand the intent of the messages, and judge how the information in the messages is used. These skills are especially important to young people, who are flooded with media messages at the same time they are building their own identities and values.

Teachable Media Moments
How many times have you walked into a room just in time to hear an underage TV character make a comment about drinking beer? How many times have you changed the channel when a character joked about “smoking a joint” or having a “one-night stand”? Television, music, and advertisements flood children with messages that may go against what that they have heard at home and school. Some messages teach kids that alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drugs are dangerous; other messages make drugs and alcohol look cool.

Ads Linked to Unhealthy Habits in Kids
Usually, you can’t watch TV, go shopping, or surf the Internet without being flooded with advertisements. But you aren’t the only one who is exposed to ads. Your child sees them, too—in movies, music, and magazines and on the Internet and TV.

Parents Can Oppose Tobacco Marketing
Want to cut the risk that your child will start using tobacco? Be ready to stand firm. Slick marketing of tobacco products can exert a powerful influence on young people looking for new experiences. Still, parents who are aware of these effects can help guard adolescents against messages that promote risky behavior.

The Message Behind the Music
Have you ever knocked on your child’s bedroom door to ask her to turn down the music she’s listening to? This likely scenario is one that often occurs in households across the Nation. But did you stop and truly listen to the lyrics of your child’s favorite songs? Some songs carry negative messages that may be related to aggressive thoughts and feelings.¹ Before you try to tune out the “noise” that your child is listening to, consider whether it needs to be limited or turned off.