Media is all about messages. Every post, every commercial, every shot, every movie is full of messages that try and convince us to think, feel, talk, dress, eat, and act a certain way. How in the world can we decipher these messages? And, how can we help our children see what’s going on around them? In the previous episode (episode 19), Dina Alexander from Educate & Empower Kids told us how we can begin to “read” the images and messages around us. It’s called media literacy and she says it’s a skill that we can teach ourselves and our children. In this podcast, Dina teaches us: - How the media is constantly telling us what we should wear, think, eat, etc. - How everything in the media is designed to profit off of us - we are being sold something with every message - That our children are being turned into professional marketers by the media culture they’re living in and now have more influence with more people than ever before. - How we can help our children be authentic when they’re posting on social media - We can use these media messages as an opportunity to connect with our kids Dina Alexander is the founder and president of Educate and Empower Kids, and the author of several books on helping parents talk to their children about their bodies, sexuality, pornography, media literacy, and smartphones. The book featured in this podcast episode, "Petra's Power to See", can be purchased here: educateempowerkids.org/products.