Tell Us What You Really Think: Exploring Parent Views on Representation in Children’s Media

It’s 10 PM. Do you know where your children are?

This famous public service announcement that ran on television from the 60’s to the 80’s has renewed relevance today.

Back then, the message encouraged parents to make sure their children were safe at home.

But now, “Where your children are” is often in front of a screen of some sort:  A TV. A phone. A computer.

Screens have power.  Screens are ubiquitous.

Parents know better than anyone how on-screen representation can change lives, inspire confidence, and build self-esteem —or not.

So, what’s their current verdict? Are media companies and other organizations acting responsibly?  What do parents really think, feel, expect? Where are areas of potential growth?

In collaboration with the Children’s Media Association (CMA), our team at CMB has been working to better understand parent perspectives on children’s media today.  Our hope is that this work catalyzes thought and discussion among programmers, creative teams, and organizations who make content for children. 

Fielding Some Fast Research

We were eager to learn more about representation as it relates to the following groups:

• Men & boys
• LGBTQIA+
• Disability
• Women & girls

For this study, we did not explore race and ethnicity because the topic had been covered in previous CMA work.

Our study included 375 participants. They reflected a mix of region, age, race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability status, mental health status, and political ideology.

We used a new AI-powered conversational survey technology to interview parents. Each interview ran about 10 minutes.

Confusion and Challenges around the Term “Authentic Representation”

We immediately learned that there are challenges in language and naming leading to confusion. For example,  industry professionals in children’s media often talk about “authentic representation.” But this is not a common phrase that everyone understands and values.

Yes, parents are thinking critically about what their children are watching, and they care very much about how people and various topics are portrayed. This is true across region, gender, age, race/ethnicity, political ideology, etc.

• But parents generally don’t use the term “authentic representation,” nor do many have a coherent guess as to what it might mean; it is also seen as highly politically charged and polarizing
• It is NOT universally accepted by parents as something to be worked towards in the current media landscape.

The challenge around definition suggests the importance of reframing the representation dialogue.

Parents Don’t See Themselves Represented

Strikingly, we learned that only half of parents think “people like them” are portrayed positively in today’s polarized media landscape, many even think they are portrayed negatively, and they care.

This portrayal gap has serious implications:

• It affects the choices parents make about what to show their children
• This lack of portrayal has an impact on their opinion of various entertainment providers
• It erodes trust. 

What about Girls? How are They Faring on Screens?

As recently as 20 years ago, girls and women did not have gender parity on TV.

That has changed. According to the Geena Davis Institute, an organization dedicated to championing equitable representation in the media, girls achieved gender parity in 2018.

Parents are taking note. Our study indicated that Women and Girls are currently seen by parents as the most positively represented group in children’s media having come a long way from past years.

But that said, one in three still don’t see women and girls as positively represented right now. This is especially true for parents of girls, one of whom shared the following thought with us and distilled what so many were feeling:

“As diverse representation as possible would be ideal for women and girls, both racially and personality-wise. I would like them to see that everyone has a unique and valuable point of view, and not all girls are the same.” – White, Female, Age: 35-44, Key Groups: Parent of a Boy; Identifies as having a disability

When it comes to boys, half of parents believe boys are still not positively represented in children’s media. This is especially true for male parents and parents of boys

Our partners at CMA have recently released a report on the need for positive, nuanced representation of what it means to be a boy, a man, a father in a changing world – including a recommendation to showcase media that reflects depth of emotion, openness to help, willingness to change, and healthy relationships for men and boys.

Gender and Sexuality: Hot Button Topics

These are challenging times, and it is not surprising that the representation of LGBTQIA+ people is a polarizing topic.

• Two-thirds of parents in the LGBTQIA+ community do not feel positively represented in children’s media.
• People in the LGBTQIA+ community believe they are the least represented group in children’s media.

Interestingly, the LGBTQIA+ community is more satisfied with their representation than the public is with LGBTQIA+ representation, which stems from a mix of beliefs around what LGBTQIA+ representation should look like in children’s media.

Portrayal of People with Disabilities

There’s clearly work to be done here.

Two-thirds of parents believe people with disabilities are not positively represented in children’s media

• This is especially true for parents with disabilities and with children who have disabilities
• Neurodivergent (unseen/invisible) disabilities are seen as the least represented group in children’s media right now
• People with unseen/invisible disabilities are viewed as more negatively represented than people with seen/visible disabilities

Additionally, more than a quarter find people with mental health conditions to be negatively represented– making them the most negatively represented group in children’s media right now.

• This is even more pronounced for parents of girls, who find that those with mental health conditions are the least positively represented

Key Takeaways

• Authentic representation in children’s media is a moving target; there is no way to please everyone because the space is polarized and nuanced, but forward progress is possible and necessary.
• Across groups, parents want to see real representation – not idealized, not stereotyped; they want people for their children not just to relate to but to look up to as role models
• Women and men can both be shown with more depth of opportunity, emotionality, healthy relationships, and unique diversities of what it means to be human
• Unseen disabilities and mental illness have the farthest to go in being represented at all, and making sure that representation is realistic.

Please let us know if you’d like to learn more or discuss representation.

At CMB, we have deep experience in media and entertainment on a variety of research topics related to children and parents.