Telling Your Story: Analyzing the Media We Consume

GRADE LEVEL: Middle and High School

Media shapes how young people understand themselves and the world around them, yet not everyone sees their identity reflected accurately, or at all, in the TV shows, movies and other media they consume every day. Representation is not just about visibility: it influences self-esteem, shapes perceptions of who belongs and who matters, and can either challenge or reinforce harmful stereotypes about race, ethnicity and other aspects of identity. The goal of this lesson is to build media literacy skills that help students recognize bias and nuance in the content they encounter daily.

In this activity, students will:

• Explore the extent to which the TV shows and movies they watch portray a diversity of characters.
• Consider and reflect on the importance of representation and visibility in movies and TV shows.