Spotting Media Influence
Be a critical thinker and recognize how ads and social media try to influence us.
April 2, 2026
From flashy commercials to social media creators showing off their favorite toys, kids are constantly surrounded by messages designed to persuade them. Persuasion isn't always bad, but it's important for kids to recognize when someone is trying to convince them to think, feel, or buy something.
Use this activity to understand what media influence is and how to spot it.
Materials
Directions
- Ask your child: Have you ever seen an ad for a toy or a snack that looked so amazing you felt like you had to have it right that second? What made it look so good?
- Explain that this is called media influence, which is when social media creators or other news and entertainment sources use their following and popularity to persuade you to do something.
- Share these four questions with your child as a way to think critically about whether an ad or video is trying to influence them:
- Who's telling the story, and why?
- What's being included or left out?
- How is this trying to make me feel?
- Is this actually true?
- Watch the fictional hoverboard video together as an example of an ad. After viewing, discuss the above questions together.
- Ask your child: Why do you think it's important to understand and recognize media influence in the content that we see online? Explain that being a critical thinker helps us make our own choices instead of just doing what an ad tells us to do.
Katherine Hutton is a writer and content marketing strategist dedicated to creating content that resonates with parents, families, and educators. Her writing has appeared in PBS KIDS for Parents, Consumer Reports, National Geographic, and Yahoo. Katherine enjoys reading, traveling, and neighborhood walks with her husband and two children.