FACT sheet 3: media and children
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What is appropriate for my child?
This fact sheet aims to help you critically analyse the variety of media your child may be exposed to, and guide you in choosing age-appropriate media for your child.
This fact sheet aims to help you critically analyse the variety of media your child may be exposed to, and guide you in choosing age-appropriate media for your child.
This fact sheet is available as a printable document in colour or black and white, or you can read below for more details.
Young children are exposed to various forms of media, including TV shows, movies, books, internet sites, advertising, newspapers, and magazines. These convey a range of messages through text, audio, or images; some of which reinforce the desirability of unrealistic and unachievable ideals about appearance, body size, and shape. As a parent, you can play an important role in helping to ensure that your child is exposed to age-appropriate media and helping your child engage with media in a positive way by building their resilience to negative messages about appearance. To do this, you need to be aware of the messages your child is exposed to, and how they can influence your child’s attitudes and behaviours.
What are the media messages my child might be exposed to?
Media targeted at children often present characters in stereotypical roles. For example, lead female characters are often thin and/or pretty and lead male characters are often muscular. Appearance can also be associated with personal attributes, such as the “attractive” person is the hero, and the “unattractive” character is the evil villain. Certainly this is not the case with every story, nor the only message, but research tells us that stories depicting obvious gender stereotypes can strongly influence the way young children perceive their own roles and appearance. Have a think about classic children’s stories, such as Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Beauty and the Beast. In these stories it is the females’ beauty that attracts the prince and ultimately leads to the “happily ever after.”
Media targeted at children often present characters in stereotypical roles. For example, lead female characters are often thin and/or pretty and lead male characters are often muscular. Appearance can also be associated with personal attributes, such as the “attractive” person is the hero, and the “unattractive” character is the evil villain. Certainly this is not the case with every story, nor the only message, but research tells us that stories depicting obvious gender stereotypes can strongly influence the way young children perceive their own roles and appearance. Have a think about classic children’s stories, such as Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Beauty and the Beast. In these stories it is the females’ beauty that attracts the prince and ultimately leads to the “happily ever after.”
Research has shown that, for girls, what is known as the “princess phenomenon” has a powerful influence
on children’s media and product consumerism.
on children’s media and product consumerism.
Media targeted at older audiences may be viewed by children and can be particularly harmful if they do not have the ability to critique or reject the messages being presented. TV shows made for older audiences (e.g. weight-loss reality shows, soap operas, health talk shows, top 40 music videos) can convey powerful messages that suggest that those who are overweight are perceived as being bad people, or failures, and that to be considered successful and attractive one must be muscular or thin.
What messages about body ideals and appearance might the Monster High Dolls convey to young children?
How are children influenced by what they see in media?
Research suggests that messages conveyed by media can influence children’s perceptions of, and attitudes towards themselves, others, and the world. Although sometimes subtle, messages contained in media suggest that looking a certain way will be rewarding. For example, thin girls are happy and successful or muscular good-looking boys have more friends. In addition, images in media present appearance ideals that are unrealistic, after having been digitally manipulated and edited with photographic software to achieve a perfect, flawless look. As a result, these appearance ideals are unattainable, that is, the looks shown in media cannot be replicated in real life. Children naturally compare themselves to images they see in media. When the images they are exposed to are unrealistic and unattainable, children are left feeling ‘not good enough’ in comparison with the manipulated images. Children may also compare themselves with others who may fit the media ideal more closely, further influencing their developing sense of shape, size, and appearance.
The more young children are exposed to messages that focus on the importance of appearance, the more likely they are to internalise these ideals, that is, take the ideals on board as their own ideals, and use them as the “yardstick” or “definition” of what happy, successful, or popular men and women, boys and girls, “should” look like. When this internalisation happens, children often believe that the only way to feel better about themselves is to change their size, shape, weight, or appearance.
How do I decide what are appropriate messages for my child to be exposed to?
Exposure to media is almost unavoidable for children. What you can do though, is try to ensure that the media your child is exposed to is age-appropriate. Many TV programs are suitable for pre-schoolers and have been specifically developed to educate and stimulate them. Examples may include Playschool, The Wiggles, Dora the Explorer, and In the Night Garden.
You may find it helpful to watch a range of programs that are promoted as age-appropriate for your child and start thinking about the messages being portrayed.
To help you assess what is suitable for your child, consider the following:
· Is there a good balance of messages in the story? (e.g. as well as being pretty, the lead female may also be assertive, kind, and independent, or as well as being muscular, the lead male may also be caring, considerate, and humorous)
· Are there messages directly connecting physical appearance with desirable or less desirable traits? (e.g. having more or less friends, being admired or teased, or being accepted by another)
· Are there messages suggesting that if the character changed their body or appearance, their life would be better? (e.g. being thinner or smaller, bigger and taller, less freckles, different hair, or using make-up)
· Are there messages about traits unrelated to appearance? (e.g. courage, kindness, acceptance of others, helping and sharing)
What can I do if my child is exposed to negative messages in age-appropriate media?
As noted above, some of the classic children’s stories contain messages that may not be helpful for positive body image. Rather than abandoning these classics, help your child focus on other elements of the stories. Consider talking with them about the non-appearance based messages that these stories tell. For example, although tales such as The Little Mermaid, Mulan, or Aladdin, do present their main characters in a physically stereotypical way, they also provide some very positive messages, such as the value of friendship, working together or trying hard. Such messages may help to balance out others that reinforce the value of appearance.
Aim to be actively critical of messages you observe about appearance (e.g. “gosh, how could any lady ever have a waist that small or ankles that little? Did you know that real people don’t actually look like that?”), and actively praise non-appearance based messages (e.g. "Isn’t it nice the way Bananas in Pyjamas take good care of their friends the teddy-bears!”). Being actively critical of messages about appearance in front of your child, can improve your child’s resilience to the negative messages they may encounter through their exposure to media.
Not only is it is important to limit exposure to messages that promote unrealistic body ideals, it is also important to encourage your child to experience messages that can boost their self-esteem and promote body confidence. There are many wonderful stories that provide children with a diverse view of bodies and their capabilities, such as Toy Story, Bolt, or Finding Nemo. These emphasise the importance of friendship, facing adversity, and being courageous; all values unrelated to appearance.
Remember, as a parent, you may not be able to control all the media messages that your child is exposed to. You can, however, play an important role in helping them develop body confidence and resilience to negative media messages. Aim for programs that do not focus on appearance, be actively critical of appearance-based messages in age-appropriate media, and promote values that are not linked to a character or person’s shape, size, weight, or appearance.
Research suggests that messages conveyed by media can influence children’s perceptions of, and attitudes towards themselves, others, and the world. Although sometimes subtle, messages contained in media suggest that looking a certain way will be rewarding. For example, thin girls are happy and successful or muscular good-looking boys have more friends. In addition, images in media present appearance ideals that are unrealistic, after having been digitally manipulated and edited with photographic software to achieve a perfect, flawless look. As a result, these appearance ideals are unattainable, that is, the looks shown in media cannot be replicated in real life. Children naturally compare themselves to images they see in media. When the images they are exposed to are unrealistic and unattainable, children are left feeling ‘not good enough’ in comparison with the manipulated images. Children may also compare themselves with others who may fit the media ideal more closely, further influencing their developing sense of shape, size, and appearance.
The more young children are exposed to messages that focus on the importance of appearance, the more likely they are to internalise these ideals, that is, take the ideals on board as their own ideals, and use them as the “yardstick” or “definition” of what happy, successful, or popular men and women, boys and girls, “should” look like. When this internalisation happens, children often believe that the only way to feel better about themselves is to change their size, shape, weight, or appearance.
How do I decide what are appropriate messages for my child to be exposed to?
Exposure to media is almost unavoidable for children. What you can do though, is try to ensure that the media your child is exposed to is age-appropriate. Many TV programs are suitable for pre-schoolers and have been specifically developed to educate and stimulate them. Examples may include Playschool, The Wiggles, Dora the Explorer, and In the Night Garden.
You may find it helpful to watch a range of programs that are promoted as age-appropriate for your child and start thinking about the messages being portrayed.
To help you assess what is suitable for your child, consider the following:
· Is there a good balance of messages in the story? (e.g. as well as being pretty, the lead female may also be assertive, kind, and independent, or as well as being muscular, the lead male may also be caring, considerate, and humorous)
· Are there messages directly connecting physical appearance with desirable or less desirable traits? (e.g. having more or less friends, being admired or teased, or being accepted by another)
· Are there messages suggesting that if the character changed their body or appearance, their life would be better? (e.g. being thinner or smaller, bigger and taller, less freckles, different hair, or using make-up)
· Are there messages about traits unrelated to appearance? (e.g. courage, kindness, acceptance of others, helping and sharing)
What can I do if my child is exposed to negative messages in age-appropriate media?
As noted above, some of the classic children’s stories contain messages that may not be helpful for positive body image. Rather than abandoning these classics, help your child focus on other elements of the stories. Consider talking with them about the non-appearance based messages that these stories tell. For example, although tales such as The Little Mermaid, Mulan, or Aladdin, do present their main characters in a physically stereotypical way, they also provide some very positive messages, such as the value of friendship, working together or trying hard. Such messages may help to balance out others that reinforce the value of appearance.
Aim to be actively critical of messages you observe about appearance (e.g. “gosh, how could any lady ever have a waist that small or ankles that little? Did you know that real people don’t actually look like that?”), and actively praise non-appearance based messages (e.g. "Isn’t it nice the way Bananas in Pyjamas take good care of their friends the teddy-bears!”). Being actively critical of messages about appearance in front of your child, can improve your child’s resilience to the negative messages they may encounter through their exposure to media.
Not only is it is important to limit exposure to messages that promote unrealistic body ideals, it is also important to encourage your child to experience messages that can boost their self-esteem and promote body confidence. There are many wonderful stories that provide children with a diverse view of bodies and their capabilities, such as Toy Story, Bolt, or Finding Nemo. These emphasise the importance of friendship, facing adversity, and being courageous; all values unrelated to appearance.
Remember, as a parent, you may not be able to control all the media messages that your child is exposed to. You can, however, play an important role in helping them develop body confidence and resilience to negative media messages. Aim for programs that do not focus on appearance, be actively critical of appearance-based messages in age-appropriate media, and promote values that are not linked to a character or person’s shape, size, weight, or appearance.
