'Unlearning the Myths' reflection

            This piece made me think about how much kids learn from the media versus their own parents versus their school and teachers. I thought it was interesting how much blame the author was putting on the media. I think that everything that was said has lots of truth and lots of merit, but nothing about what children learn in other places was mentioned. I believe that stereotypes exist and are virtually unavoidable. But I also believe that early on, before a child can understand a story, the basic knowledge of acceptance must be in place. Kids need to be taught at home that they must not believe everything they see or here, and that they should accept everyone and treat everyone as equals. That being said, I know that the media, especially today, is a big part of everyday life. But I also think we look at selective media. Lots of emphasis was put on Disney. There are other films to show your children with less aggressive stereotyping. However, I also believe that that is what media is. It is a character that represents something. It is up to the artist what it represents, but there is media in favor of all types of people, and it is up to us what we show our children, and what we let ourselves believe. Of course over exposure will sway a person, but ultimately, a person’s values and morals and standards should be based on much more than what is shown in the media, and I believe that that must start with parents teaching an open and strong mind from day one.