Parents Seek More Diversity in Movies & Television for Kids, But the Entertainment Industry Continues to Fall Short

A new report released today by Common Sense, "The Inclusion Imperative: Why Media Representation Matters for Kids' Ethnic-Racial Development," reveals that media plays a critical role in kids' sense of identity and helps parents start important conversations about race. Almost 6 in 10 (57%) parents say that the media their child consumes has prompted conversations about diversity, and an even larger percentage of parents say it is important that their children are exposed to content that helps them learn more about their own culture, religion, or lifestyle. Additionally, 78% of parents want their children to be exposed to media that teaches them about cultures, religions, and lifestyles that are different from their own, underscoring the importance of narratives and storylines that represent the diversity of a multicultural America.

A new report released today by Common Sense, "The Inclusion Imperative: Why Media Representation Matters for Kids' Ethnic-Racial Development," reveals that media plays a critical role in kids' sense of identity and helps parents start important conversations about race. Almost 6 in 10 (57%) parents say that the media their child consumes has prompted conversations about diversity, and an even larger percentage of parents say it is important that their children are exposed to content that helps them learn more about their own culture, religion, or lifestyle. Additionally, 78% of parents want their children to be exposed to media that teaches them about cultures, religions, and lifestyles that are different from their own, underscoring the importance of narratives and storylines that represent the diversity of a multicultural America.

But the report shows that glaring diversity issues remain in media, as people of color continue to be underrepresented and mischaracterized in movie and television roles across media platforms, networks, and services. For example, characters of color in shows most watched by children age 2-13 are more likely to be depicted as violent, and women of all ethnic-racial groups in adult programming are more likely to appear in sexualized roles.

"Media has a profound influence on how we see, understand, and treat people, especially those within and different from our own race or ethnicity. And this is no different for kids," says Onnie Rogers, PhD, a researcher from Northwestern University who co-authored the report. "Media representation is important to how kids build their perspectives on their own ethnic-racial group, as well as that of others. This research gives us a deeper understanding of how media, race, and representation are all intertwined with lasting effects."

The report, which is co-authored by Rogers; Dana Mastro, PhD, professor of communication at the University of California, Santa Barbara; Michael B. Robb, PhD, senior director of research at Common Sense; and Alanna Peebles, PhD, assistant professor of communication, media, and technology at San Diego State University, synthesizes existing research from more than 150 journal articles, book chapters, reports, and other academic sources to get the best available understanding of how media could influence children's ethnic-racial development. A nationally representative survey of over 1,100 parents of children from 2 to 12 years old was also conducted to help shed light on what parents expect from media geared toward kids and how it can be a valuable tool to help kids gain a better understanding of race and ethnicity. Parents responded with a clear message: It's about more than just seeing their race/ethnicity in the media—it's about being culturally and linguistically inclusive.

"This report makes it clear that parents use and value quality media to help teach their kids understanding, acceptance, and inclusion," said James P. Steyer, founder and CEO of Common Sense. "At the same time, the entertainment industry isn't giving them enough choices. Parents want more from their media in terms of inclusivity and representation, and it's time for content creators and the platforms that make that content available to create TV shows, movies, games, and apps that help all kids feel included and celebrated."

The lack of representation in media has parents coming up short when searching for realistic, three-dimensional representations of diverse races and ethnicities that aren't rife with stereotypes. (Sesame Street and Dora the Explorer are the examples parents gave the most often for shows that have positive and nuanced representation of different groups.) To address this concern, Common Sense Media is adding a new rating for diverse representations that can help parents identify high-quality media that includes and elevates accurate portrayals of characters of color. Common Sense Media has provided research-backed ratings for nearly two decades, and this latest research brings deeper nuance to how media is rated and reviewed for diverse representations.

'Inclusion Imperative' Report Key Findings

Parents' Survey Key Findings

Methodology

For the literature review, authors reviewed existing research from more than 150 journal articles, book chapters, reports, and other academic sources on child development, ethnic-racial development, and media.

For the parent survey, Common Sense's goal was to assess parents' and caregivers' views on the quantity and quality of racial and cultural representations in children's media content. The survey was conducted in June 2021 with 1,143 participants in a nationally representative sample of parents and caregivers (age 18+) of children between the ages of 2 to 12 years old. Demographic quotas were set within each ethnic-racial group to ensure proper representation. The data was ultimately weighted by actual ethnic-racial representation in the U.S. to make the total aggregated data representative. The survey was offered both in English and Spanish.

A copy of the full report can be downloaded here.

About Common Sense
Common Sense is the nation's leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in the 21st century. Learn more at commonsense.org.

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