Media Literacy Now

06/18/2026

Last year, Missouri passed a law requiring schools to ban cellphones and other personal devices during the school day — a bell-to-bell policy. A year later, teachers weigh in on what they've observed and experienced as a result.

While some are pleased and others feel the ban goes too far, what one teacher shared resonated with us —

"Students also need to be taught how to use — or not use — technology responsibly, even when they do have access to it...We need to make sure that our teachers are equipped to teach responsible use of technology. It’s not just about banning something, it should be about embracing it positively and regulating it wisely.”

💯 When it comes to school cellphone bans or classroom screen restrictions, if policies do not also include or address media literacy education they're incomplete solutions! Let's not leave students unprepared — they need guided, empowered learning — not just restrictions — to thrive in today’s digital world.

Read more:

Some appreciate the legal backup for teachers’ cellphone policies and say students are socializing more. Others think the ban goes too far.

06/09/2026

Strengthening Youth Mental Health Through Media Literacy

Today's kids are navigating an always-on digital world, consuming more information than ever before. While youth mental health is complex, teaching media literacy in schools empowers educators and parents to keep kids safe.

When students learn to think critically about the information they see online, they can navigate digital spaces thoughtfully and intentionally—building skills essential for their well-being and future success.

We're proud to be part of the Coalition to Empower Our Future, which brings together mental health experts, parents, youth, nonprofit leaders, policymakers, and other stakeholders for comprehensive conversations on the multifaceted factors contributing to youth mental health.

Media Literacy Now advances media literacy education in schools nationwide through advocacy, coalition-building, and policy change—ensuring all students can evaluate information, question what they see, and engage safely in our digital world shaped by AI and social media.

👉 Learn more about our work: https://medialiteracynow.org/
💜 Donate to support media literacy education: https://medialiteracynow.org/donate/

💜💜💜💜

06/01/2026

We recently attended the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education & CSforMA's DLCS Summit and learned how K-12 teachers and district leaders across Massachusetts are finding ways to ensure students develop essential, future-ready media and digital literacy skills.

ICYMI: Our report, Media Literacy in Massachusetts: A Landscape Scan and Policy Recommendations, outlines current practice, shares educator and expert insight, and offers concrete policy steps to strengthen media literacy statewide.

🗣️ Educators and community members made it clear: students need strong media literacy to be safe, healthy, and confident media consumers and creators.

Scroll ➡️ for key findings and recommendations.

Visit our website to dive deeper into the findings and recommendations and to download the full report: https://medialiteracynow.org/ma_dese/

05/28/2026

As schools grapple with integrating AI into classrooms, education experts are clear: the solution lies in curriculum, not technology alone. Jennifer Garner of ISTE and Yvette Renteria of Common Sense Media share what they would like to see —

Integration Over Isolation
Rather than treating AI literacy as a standalone subject, schools should weave it into existing standards across all content areas. Language arts classes already teach source evaluation—AI literacy is a natural extension.

Start Early, Start Offline
- The youngest learners can grasp AI concepts without touching devices.
- By grades 3-5, educators can demystify the technology using simple analogies.
- Middle school requires addressing parasocial relationships with chatbots.
- High school focuses on protecting critical thinking skills while preparing for AI-enabled workplaces.

At Media Literacy Now, we see AI literacy as inseparable from the broader mission of helping students navigate information, distinguish between accurate and inaccurate information, and maintain their creative and critical capacities.

Read the full K-12 Dive article here: https://www.k12dive.com/news/ai-literacy-experts-advise-viewing-the-tech-through-a-curricular-lens/820735/?utm_source=wwr.whiteboardadvisors.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=what-we-re-reading-may-20-2026&_bhlid=403226197956d31e9c8ed3985896f0d3670e4d5d

P.S. We'll be at ISTE LIVE next month in Orlando. We're eager to connect with educators and school leaders to learn how you're prioritizing media and AI literacy in your communities. See you there!

Thoughtful, age-appropriate approaches can equip students with skills needed to effectively use the technology, says ISTE+ASCD’s Jessica Garner.

05/21/2026

How do we prepare students for healthy tech habits in a world where 43% of tweens ages 8 to 12 have their own smartphone?

This Digital Well-Being Week (May 18–22), is the perfect time to spotlight a school taking action to prepare its students for today's digital world. La Jolla Country Day School in Southern California is reimagining their entire health and wellness curriculum through a media literacy lens.

Their approach? Start early, be preventative, and make it a whole-community effort. Working with teachers, counselors, and even their social media manager, they're creating a standards crosswalk that maps exactly which digital wellness competencies students need at each grade level—from 5th through 12th.

Michelle Hirschy, the school's Director of Wellness and Media Literacy Now's Health and Wellness Education Advisor, puts it simply: "How can you have conversations about healthy relationships and consent without talking about the digital world kids are actually living in?"

While not every school has the bandwidth for a full curriculum overhaul, there's low-hanging fruit everywhere—starting with updating those health lessons that haven't changed in decades.

Want to learn more? Read the full story about LJCDS's approach to integrating media literacy into wellness education ➡️ https://medialiteracynow.org/a-california-school-creates-standards-for-media-literacy-in-health-and-wellness-education/

Also, be sure to check out our database of resources, lesson plans, videos, and activities to integrate media literacy and digital wellness into the classroom. Curriculum topics include digital citizenship and online safety, the impact of social media use, education and tools for self-regulation, and discerning credible health information. ➡️ https://medialiteracynow.org/impact/digitalwellness/

05/19/2026

This Mental Health Awareness Month, let’s talk about digital wellness!

Kids’ online lives — from social media feeds and gaming to AI chats — are shaping how they feel about themselves. We asked experts working to improve youth mental health to weigh in on how digital media, media literacy, and supportive environments can strengthen young people’s well-being.

Read what they had to say ➡️ https://medialiteracynow.org/youth-mental-health-and-a-safe-healthy-digital-life-a-link-we-cant-ignore/

05/05/2026

It's Teacher Appreciation Week! Teachers are some of our biggest media literacy education advocates. As we continue to advocate for K-12 media literacy education in schools, we also need to support professional development and training for teachers so they are well-equipped and supported.

04/23/2026

What we’re reading: Looking to our neighbors north of us in the Northwest Territories, where the conversation around cellphones in schools is shifting—from bans to digital literacy.

Instead of focusing only on restricting access, educators are helping students build the skills to navigate digital spaces safely and responsibly—like evaluating information, protecting privacy, and engaging thoughtfully online.

It’s a recognition that tech isn’t going anywhere—and that teaching students how to use it well may be a more lasting solution than simply taking it away.

We’d love to see more of this conversation shift here in the U.S.!

Read more:

As the Northwest Territories prepares to regulate cellphones in classrooms by academic year-end, the debate is shifting from a ban on the gadgets to a discussion about the need for digital literacy.

04/21/2026

As AI tools rapidly make their way into classrooms, schools are playing catch-up on media literacy.

A recent piece from Education Week highlights how educators are working to keep pace—often without the training or resources they need.

Brian Baker, who leads the Oregon Media Literacy Coalition in partnership with Media Literacy Now, puts it simply: media literacy and AI literacy aren’t separate skill sets—they’re deeply connected.

Students need more than access to new tools. They need the skills to question, analyze, and understand how AI-generated content is created, what biases may be embedded, and how it shapes what they see and believe.

Brian dives deeper into this here: https://medialiteracynow.org/ai-literacy-and-media-literacy-you-cant-have-one-without-the-other/

And the full article: https://www.edweek.org/technology/schools-play-game-of-media-literacy-catch-up-as-ai-use-rises/2026/04 #

As AI use rises, investing in media literacy education isn’t optional—it’s essential.

Students are now seeing more AI-generated social media content that is problematic.

04/16/2026

It’s Week of the Young Child! 🎉

This week is all about celebrating early learners, their teachers, and the importance of strong foundations in education.

At Media Literacy Now, we believe one of those foundations is .

We don’t wait to teach reading or math — so why would we wait to teach kids how to think critically about media?

Our latest blog explores how even our youngest learners can start building skills like asking questions, evaluating information, and understanding how media represents the world — all through simple shifts in everyday teaching.

Because the habits kids need to navigate today’s digital world start early.

👉 Read more: https://medialiteracynow.org/is-kindergarten-too-early-to-teach-media-literacy/