Homeschooling Controversial Media Texts
- Mastering Media
- Jun 22
- 2 min read
When home-educating children, it’s natural to want to protect them from harmful or upsetting material. But when it comes to media literacy, avoiding controversial texts isn’t protection—it’s a missed opportunity. The truth is: engaging with challenging media content helps children become more thoughtful, critical, and ethical media users. And that’s exactly the kind of skill they’ll need in today’s complex digital world.
The Media Is Already Shaping Them—So Let’s Teach Them to Navigate It
Young people are constantly exposed to media: news, social feeds, YouTube, influencers, memes, and viral trends. These platforms don’t shy away from controversial topics—so if we don’t help children explore these issues in a thoughtful, guided way, they’ll be left to navigate them alone.
As home educators, we have the unique advantage of doing this in a safe, personalised environment—offering time and space for real discussion, curiosity, and reflection.
Homeschooling Controversial Media Texts—Safely and Critically
Be a Guide, Not Just a Gatekeeper
Instead of shielding children, model responsible engagement. Look at how media content is framed, who is represented (or left out), and what values or assumptions are at play. As Talib (2018) notes, teaching is increasingly about curating and co-creating knowledge—not just delivering it.
Learn Together
McDougall & Potter (2015) suggest a "porous expertise" approach: learning with your child rather than always instructing from above. This means asking questions, sharing your own media habits, and encouraging your child to challenge, remix, and respond to media critically.
Use the Platforms They Use
If your teen is on TikTok or Instagram, use those platforms to analyse how information is presented. As Walden (2021) argues, talking about media isn’t enough—we need to explore inside it to understand how it shapes meaning through design, algorithms, and emotion.
Dig Into the 'Behind the Scenes'
Gómez-Galán (2018) urges educators to explore the hidden structures of media—like data collection, surveillance, and platform ethics. These are real-world issues kids are part of, often without even knowing it. Making these visible can transform passive viewing into conscious understanding.
Make and Reflect
Let your child try making their own media—videos, posts, podcasts—and then talk through their choices. What message did they want to send? How did they shape their audience's response? This "learning by doing" is core to modern media education (Screenworks, 2020).
Controversial Doesn’t Mean Unsafe
When handled thoughtfully, controversial media texts aren’t dangerous—they’re essential tools. They help young people explore identity, ethics, power, and truth in a world where media is everywhere. As a home educator, you can help your child approach these texts with confidence, care, and curiosity.
Teaching critical media literacy at home means meeting the world as it is—not avoiding it. And in doing so, you’re not just teaching a subject. You’re equipping your child for life.
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