How to Improve Media Literacy for K-12 Students

May 1, 2025 byCharlotte Davies

4 min to read

The world is filled with content designed to influence our thinking or our actions, be it the news, companies who want to sell us products or services, or influencers on social media. In an age where anyone can have a voice and gain a following, it’s important to help kids develop sharp media literacy skills to help them discern what is worth listening to and what is not.

What is Media Literacy?

Media literacy is the ability to access, analyze, and evaluate information in various media formats. It requires critical thinking skills to determine whether information is accurate and trustworthy, if it contains bias, or if it’s using persuasive techniques to influence thoughts or behavior.

Why is Media Literacy Important?

We have never been more attached to our devices, and this is especially true for middle and high school-aged students. In the fall of 2024, Pew Research collected data from teenagers about their social media use and found that nearly half of them said they were online “almost constantly.”

The content we consume can unconsciously shape our self-image, how we see the world, our mental health, our empathy, and our beliefs. Even if incorrect, misleading, or hurtful information is passed on accidentally, it still carries the potential to cause real damage.

Knowing how to figure out if an article, podcast, or video is giving them the whole story or has been created to influence them one way or another is a crucial skillset for kids and teens to develop.

Is Media Literacy Declining?

Data from a 2022 national survey shows that most of the adults that participated had no media literacy training in high school, and therefore weren’t taught how to screen the media they came into contact with for bias or credibility or determine whether it could influence their thoughts or actions.

Encouragingly though, some states have taken serious steps to promote media literacy education in recent years, including passing legislation to set statewide standards for all K-12 students. The state of Illinois also requires media literacy education for high school students who are enrolled in public schools.

How to Improve Media Literacy for Students

Asking a few basic questions can start students off on the right foot in becoming more media literate and navigating the social media space. Families and Learning Coaches can encourage their children to engage in lateral reading and SIFT, which is a method of vetting information from an unknown source against what’s been reported elsewhere by established, trusted outlets and asking thoughtful questions about it:

Stop and evaluate the media you’re engaging with. What claims are being made? Is the proper context provided?

Investigate the source. What do other people say about this source? Have they been cited by fact checkers?

Find other coverage. Do other sources back up what this source says? If not, how are they different? What is the quality of the sites or publications that agree or disagree with this source?

Trace claims. Follow any quotes, facts, or data back to the original context. Have claims been debunked or have statistics been updated since this was first published? Do academic or scholarly sources agree with the claims?

Support Your Child’s Online Education

Help your child learn to navigate the media landscape by becoming their Learning Coach in an online school. Connections Academy is an accredited K-12 online school that empowers students to become active participants in their own education. Learn more about how to make online learning possible for your child by downloading our free eGuide.