How can I use media to teach my kid humility?
Topics: Life Skills
There's nothing wrong with sharing selfies, feeling proud to get "likes," or even creating an online persona that's a bit bolder than your true self. But in today's self-promotional, hypercompetitive social media and pop culture environment, it's tempting to rely on these external factors for your sense of self-worth.
You can use media to teach kids humility by helping them develop a sense of self-worth that's not dependent on "likes" or other online feedback, discussing media figures who've publicly admitted mistakes and resolved to do better, and watching shows with diverse characters and global stories.
Movies, TV, and Books:
- Read books about famous people with the character strength of humility.
- Look for media that promotes the importance of being true to yourself.
- Watch shows about different cultures.
- Seek out movies and TV that inspire humility.
Social Media, Apps, Games, and Websites:
- Help kids develop their sense of self-worth from inside, not from external forces such as likes and followers.
- Talk about the self-involvement aspect of selfies and why it's important to focus the camera outward, too.
- Tell kids it's a sign of strength to say "I'm sorry" publicly.
- Encourage kids to find online environments where they can be themselves.
- Discourage kids from comparing themselves to others' online profiles.
- Look for games and apps that reward effort over achievement.
There's nothing wrong with sharing selfies, feeling proud to get "likes," or even creating an online persona that's a bit bolder than your true self. But in today's self-promotional, hypercompetitive social media and pop culture environment, it's tempting to rely on these external factors for your sense of self-worth.
You can use media to teach kids humility by helping them develop a sense of self-worth that's not dependent on "likes" or other online feedback, discussing media figures who've publicly admitted mistakes and resolved to do better, and watching shows with diverse characters and global stories.
Movies, TV, and Books:
- Read books about famous people with the character strength of humility.
- Look for media that promotes the importance of being true to yourself.
- Watch shows about different cultures.
- Seek out movies and TV that inspire humility.
Social Media, Apps, Games, and Websites:
- Help kids develop their sense of self-worth from inside, not from external forces such as likes and followers.
- Talk about the self-involvement aspect of selfies and why it's important to focus the camera outward, too.
- Tell kids it's a sign of strength to say "I'm sorry" publicly.
- Encourage kids to find online environments where they can be themselves.
- Discourage kids from comparing themselves to others' online profiles.
- Look for games and apps that reward effort over achievement.
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