The Role of the Mass Media in the Education of Children

Freedom of Education

Our greatest challenge … is the influence of the mass media of entertainment on our families, our children and our grandchildren. The media, for good and for ill, is the primary teacher of our youth. There’s hope though – children can be taught to be media-wise, and the entertainment industry can be turned toward the good, the true, and the beautiful. (We need) to teach children to be media wise, (to) understand the wide influence of the mass media, and (to know) how to redeem the industry. This (article) covers: The Media’s Influence on Different Stages of Development; Understanding the Mass Media; Asking the Right Questions; and, Using and Influencing the Media for the Good, the True, and the Beautiful.


 This is an edited version a paper originally given at the World Congress of Families VI in Madrid on Sunday, 27th May, 2012.