The powerful media are considered a major influence in our society, both directly and indirectly. Media is available and accessible today more easily than ever. Printed materials, television, sound recordings, the Internet and radio all fall under the umbrella of the big bad – or seemingly crude swearwords – of the media. Is the media bad? How is it controlled? And where does all this come from...? These are some of the major concerns that parents face today while raising their children. Although most of our media seems superficial and devoid of meaning, violence and chatter, it is also a source of education, humor and non-violent entertainment. . Sellers and individuals wishing to promote various things have, at some point, resorted to different forms of media. They used the media to promote what people should wear, eat, do, and even enjoy. The media informs us about what is happening in the world and how to respond to the events presented. The effects of media vary depending on the child's age and stage of development. (Barbour, Barbour & Scully, 2008) It has been found that today's American children spend almost as much time in front of television, computers, and other media as they do in their classrooms. Studies have shown that the average American child spends more than five hours using media per day, and children ages 8 and older use media an hour and 15 minutes more per day. “It’s a wake-up call. It asserts that media use is a major force in the development and socialization of an American child, and we don't know enough about it,” said Ellen A. Wartella, dean of the School of Communication. from the University of Texas at Austin. Wartella disagrees with those who claim that parents have the greatest influence on their children...... middle of paper...... boundaries and context in which they exist. By keeping our eyes open and consciously protecting our children, we hope we can filter out the negative aspects. Works Cited • Barbour C., Barbour NH & Scully PA, 2008 edition, Building Partnerships for Educating Children, p. 9-11. www.education.com.• Teresa and The Cutekid Staff, 2005, How the Media Influences Children, www.thecutekid.com.• Kiesewetter J. and Kranz C., 1999, The Media Has a Great Influence on Children, www .parentingbookmark.com .• Clark & ​​​​Blackwell L., 2002, Media Influence on Children, Encyclopedia of Education, www.encyclopedia.com .• State University, 2009, Influence on Children Media- History of Media for Children, General Considerations , Studies of Media Influences, Areas of influence, recommendations, www.education.stateuniversity.com .