Nerdy Millennial

Top Menu

  • About
  • Contact
  • Write For Us

Main Menu

  • Career
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Blogging
      • Social Media
      • SEO and Keyword Research
  • College
  • Arts & Culture
  • Technology
  • Health and Fitness
    • Nutrition
    • Recipes
      • Baked Goods
      • Breakfast
      • Condiments
      • Dessert
      • Fermented Foods
      • Main Dishes
      • Side Dishes
      • Snacks
      • Soup
    • Keto
    • Vegan
  • Relationships
    • Dating
    • Friendship
    • Parenting
    • Pregnancy & Birth
  • About
  • Contact
  • Write For Us

Nerdy Millennial

Nerdy Millennial

  • Career
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Blogging
      • Social Media
      • SEO and Keyword Research
  • College
  • Arts & Culture
  • Technology
  • Health and Fitness
    • Nutrition
    • Recipes
      • Baked Goods
      • Breakfast
      • Condiments
      • Dessert
      • Fermented Foods
      • Main Dishes
      • Side Dishes
      • Snacks
      • Soup
    • Keto
    • Vegan
  • Relationships
    • Dating
    • Friendship
    • Parenting
    • Pregnancy & Birth
Health and FitnessNutrition
Home›Health and Fitness›Teaching Media Literacy to Protect Our Children’s Health

Teaching Media Literacy to Protect Our Children’s Health

By Rita Brhel
November 30, 2011
729
0

Who’s teaching your children about food and nutrition? As much as parents hope the answer is them, children are barraged by food messages from sources you might not have even considered. The amount of advertising we receive on a daily basis is staggering: television, Internet, radio, billboards, newspapers, magazines, cell phones, in supermarkets, food packaging, even in schools. Children and adults are constantly hearing where they should go to eat or what they should buy. With so much marketing coming at us constantly, it’s impossible for media not to have an influence unless we live somewhere with absolutely no contact with the outside world.

Parents need to teach their children how to be smart about buying their food – to realize that the purpose of food is to provide nutrition to the body. Children need to learn that there’s more to buying food than convenience, price, or emotional comfort. They need to learn how food choices affect their health, not just their checking accounts or their schedules.

Parents also need to teach their children that just because an advertiser makes a claim, it’s not necessarily accurate. For example, the majority of people who buy green brands do so because they want to be eco-conscious, but not all advertisers who claim to be green or sustainable or organic actually are. At one time, a popular fastfood restaurant chain claimed that its chicken nuggets were green because they didn’t have trans fats, but there was no information on how the chicken was raised or any other nutritional facts about the food. Even the term “organic” can get confusing, as many companies are now diluting this label to include naturally raised, yet not organically certified, foods.

The key to guiding our children’s ability to make smart consumer choices regarding food is to teach them to be media literate – using critical thinking to sort through the messages they are receiving in order to find the truth about the food being advertised and if it aligns with their own values and beliefs. It’s not censorship; it’s an antidote to excess media.

Through media literacy, consumers learn that all media is constructed to deliver a specific message to consumers and to persuade them of something – in the case of food purchases: where to go and what to buy. They learn how to think beyond the plate to find “food truth,” answering questions such as: Where did this food come from? Who produced it? How was it raised? What’s in it? How might eating this affect the environment, society, my community, my family, or me?

There are seven key questions for consumers to ask themselves before basing a food purchase on a media message they received:

  1. Who paid for the message?
  2. What is the purpose of the message?
  3. Who is the intended audience?
  4. What techniques are being used to grab and hold my attention?
  5. What is being sold?
  6. What is not included in the message?
  7. What are the unintended consequences of purchasing this food?

Using the case of a fastfood restaurant’s ad promoting the children’s menu, here’s how to use these questions:

  • Who paid for the message? McDonald’s
  • What is the purpose of the message? To sell food
  • Who is the intended audience? Parents
  • What techniques are being used to grab and hold my attention? Happy, fun character interacting with happy children
  • What is being sold? Inexpensive, convenient meal with toy
  • What is not included in the message? That the food is unhealthy
  • What are the unintended consequences of purchasing this food? Children learn unhealthy food choices from the parents’ decision, and children learn to overlook healthy food options such as homemade meals or healthier restaurants.

Here’s another example using advertising for a soft drink:

  • Who paid for the message? Coca-Cola
  • What is the purpose of the message? To sell bottles of a soft drink
  • Who is the intended audience? Children
  • What techniques are being used to grab and hold my attention? Bright colors, catchy slogans
  • What is being sold? Easy, inexpensive drink option
  • What’s not included in the message? That the drink is unhealthy
  • What are the unintended consequences of purchasing this food? Children learn unhealthy food choices from the school’s decision, and children learn to overlook healthy drink options such as milk or juice.

Sorting through media messages can be difficult to learn and to teach to others, but if we’re interested in protecting our children from these media messages, then we need to know how to do this.

 

 

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Rita Brhel
Rita Brhel
Rita Brhel is a stay-at-home mother to three children. She is also a WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselor for the Community Action Partnership of Mid-Nebraska, the Publications Coordinator for Attachment Parenting International, the managing editor of the Attached Family magazine, an API Support Group Leader, PSI Postpartum Support Coordinator, Sidelines High-Risk Pregnancy Peer Counselor.
Rita Brhel
Latest posts by Rita Brhel (see all)
  • When Your Baby Is Clingy - March 2, 2013
  • Crying as Sport? - July 10, 2012
  • Attachment Parenting Isn’t Asking Too Much of Parents – Our Society Is - May 26, 2012
TagsadvertisingchildrenCoca-ColafastfoodfoodMcDonald'smediamedia censoringmedia literacy

Leave a reply Cancel reply

Recipe Rating




Send Me Blog Updates!

You Might Also Like...

  • Pros and Cons of Online Counseling
    FeaturedMental Health

    The Pros and Cons of Online Counseling

  • Simple Rules for Growing Your Pinterest Account and Traffic in 2020
    Social MediaFeatured

    Simple Rules for Growing Your Pinterest Account and Traffic in 2020

  • FeaturedHealth and Fitness

    How to Bring a Fever Down Naturally

  • EducationFeaturedParenting

    Free-Range Kids: 7 Ways to Encourage School-Aged Kids to be Curious and Independent

About Nerdy Millennial

Hello, I'm Vanessa

Creator and curator of Nerdy Millennial.

This blog all about millennials sharing their passion, ideas, and expertise about blogging, healthy living, self-improvement, education, parenting, and more!

Interested in contributing? Contact us to pitch your idea or submit an article.

Featured

Frugal LivingFeaturedFinancesParenting

The 7 Money-Saving Strategies Every Parent Needs to Know

No matter how “ready” you feel to become a parent, once it happens, you realize there is no amount of preparation to adequately brace you for the total life transformation ...
  • Becoming an Online Counselor: The Pros and Credentials Needed

    Becoming an Online Counselor: The Pros and Credentials Needed

    By Vanessa Pruitt
    August 13, 2020
  • 4 Steps to Finding the Best Counselor for You

    4 Steps to Finding the Best Counselor for You

    By Vanessa Pruitt
    August 13, 2020
  • Pros and Cons of Online Counseling

    The Pros and Cons of Online Counseling

    By Vanessa Pruitt
    August 13, 2020
  • What is the Difference between Full-Spectrum, Broad-Spectrum, and Isolate CBD

    By Contributing Author
    August 11, 2020
  • How Lack of Boundaries and Dishonored Feelings Affect Your Mental and Physical Health

    How Lack of Boundaries and Dishonored Feelings Affect Your Mental and Physical Health

    By Vanessa Pruitt
    July 24, 2020
  • The Importance of Practicing Gratefulness During Times of Uncertainty

    The Importance of Practicing Gratefulness During Times of Uncertainty

    By Vanessa Pruitt
    July 16, 2020
  • 6 Ways to Naturally Freshen Your Home

    6 Ways to Naturally Freshen Your Home

    By Vanessa Pruitt
    July 14, 2020
  • Ways to Filter Your Facebook Feed and Posts

    Ways to Filter Your Facebook Feed and Posts

    By Vanessa Pruitt
    July 13, 2020
  • Why visit Rome in December

    6 Reasons to Go to Rome in December

    By Vanessa Pruitt
    July 6, 2020

    Join Us on Facebook

    Latest Comments

    • Turn Your Love of Fitness Into a Career
      on
      November 26, 2020
      […] you might want to consider getting into some sport professionally, or even just on a ...

      9 Ways to Turn Your Fitness Into A Career

    • https://apnews.com/article/7799dc8a7083f61bb1c9f1f3dba8c30a
      on
      November 25, 2020
      Trackback [...]https://apnews.com/article/7799dc8a7083f61bb1c9f1f3dba8c30a

      Are Pre and Post Workout Supplements Worth It? 3 Questions to Ask Yourself

    • Dr. Oz Answers
      on
      July 23, 2020
      Trackback [...]Dr. Oz Answers

      Are Pre and Post Workout Supplements Worth It? 3 Questions to Ask Yourself

    • Some Careers That Challenge You Each Day - CareerAlley
      on
      June 9, 2020
      […] development might not be about saving lives but it’s certainly a career that challenges you ...

      How To Build On Your Career

    • 4 Surprising Benefits of Using Instagram for Your Business - Atelier Magazine
      on
      June 3, 2020
      […] More brands are combining Instagram approaches into their marketing strategies, and it leads to business ...

      A Guide to Creating Your Instagram Strategy

    Flickr

      • Home
      • About
      • Contact Us
      • Write For Us
      • Comment Policy
      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms of Use
      We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
      Cookie settingsACCEPT
      Manage consent

      Privacy Overview

      This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
      Necessary
      Always Enabled

      Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

      Non-necessary

      Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.