Teaching Children/Teens to be Media Savvy

The Internet is an ever-changing source of information. Inevitably, some of the links below will stop working. We will do our best to keep links current and remove broken links.

Source	Link Info
Our Advice	Teach kids NOT to click on advertising. Teach kids NEVER to click on notices or popups telling them they have won something. Teach children NEVER to fill out forms or request for information without a parent's or guardian's permission and assistance. For teens, teach them to use "throwaway" email addresses and never to use personal information. Teach kids that it is extremely easy to deceive others through media (online and otherwise) so people and things are not always what they appear to be. A simple example in the advertising industry is illustrated in a YouTube video called Deception and it's parody Slob Evolution. Teach kids to be wary of messages from someone trying to contact them or ads saying that someone has a crush on them or wants to meet them. The "giveaway" is that such generic bogus messages, which come in many different forms and delivery methods, rarely have the child's/teen's name in them. They contain a username or, more frequently, no name at all. Teach kids to be skeptical online and question what they see and hear. Know that just because a web site appears to be for children doesn't mean it is safe or appropriate. Parents should visit sites their children would like to use.
YouTube Resource	A good example how kids are easily tricked online
Resource	Video from CommonSenseMedia.com Re: Rules for kids
Resource	OnGuardOnline.gov has lots of resources to help kids and parents became media savvy including interactive quizzes.
Resource	Media Education Foundation - Also has lots of links to other resources.
Resource	New Mexico Media Literacy Project
Resource	Don't Buy it! Get Media Smart - from PBSKids.org
Resource	Action Coalition for Media Education - Raising Media Savvy Kids
Resource	Common Sense Media - Advice for parents.
Resource	The Center for Media Literacy
Resource	JustThink.org - "Just Think teaches young people to lead healthy, responsible, independent lives in a culture highly impacted by media."
Resource	Media Awareness Network - An excellent resource!
Blog	Shaping Youth - a forum about media marketing and influences on kids
Article	Media Savvy Kids - For students inundated by images, critical thinking skills help sort fact from fiction [December, 2004 - still relevant!]