From the tablet to the TV, media plays a prominent role in our lives. It is most true in relation to gender where media portrays stereotypical gender roles and restrictive sexuality norms and normalizes or even glamorizes sexual risk behaviours and unhealthy relationships. 

Sexual content may also be devoid of contraception or contain alcohol use, without portraying potential dangers and pornography may include high levels of aggression. Media can portray power-based violence in a light-hearted manner, desensitizing society to these forms of violence, ultimately decreasing  the ability to identify these acts as violent. 

In the absence of other information, pornography can be the main source of a young person's sex education. Pornography is associated with stronger permissive sexual attitudes such as premarital sex, casual sex and can increase the likelihood of earlier first-time sexual experience. It is also associated with unsafe sexual health practices such as not using condoms and can influence sexual expectations. Stereotypes about gender, sexism, sexual objectification and violence-supportive attitudes are also at play, as well as attitudes that are supportive of sexual violence and violence against women. The best approach is to encourage open communication, discussion and critical thinking on the part of children, with parents and teachers, while educating themselves and the children about the internet and social media. 

Much cyberbullying occurs through various social media. While any type of bullying can have physical and psychological effects on a child such as anxiety, fear, depression, low self-esteem, behavioral issues, and academic struggles, cyberbullying may be particularly damaging as unlike traditional bullying, which is often limited to school and known bullies, cyberbullying can occur at any time, day or night, and be perpetrated by anonymous sources, making it more relentless and cruel. Furthermore, children will feel distressed, embarrassed, hurt, fear for their safety and even blame themselves for the cyberbullying. 

Some adolescents know intuitively how to counter cyberbullying and are knowledgeable that the ways gender is represented in media does not accurately reflect reality, can understand how media “boxes them in” to behaving in particular ways, how it “divides and conquers” by using stereotypes and targeting ads by gender, and how it can make girls’ own bodies into commodities. However, most are unaware about the above factors leading to various misconception and male privileges. As such, media literacy which is a less prioritized area of comprehensive sexual education must be given more emphasis. 

Media literacy educates adolescents that media content is constructed and empowers students with the skills to actively and critically think about these messages. Such literate adolescents are more likely to think carefully about the messages and, in turn, less likely to be negatively influenced by it when they encounter a media message that promotes unhealthy behaviors, thus strengthening logic-oriented decision-making process 

Media literacy helps to identify risk factors such as hostility towards women, traditional gender role adherence, acceptance of violence, and victim blaming for sexual assault. It promotes healthy sexuality, provide alternatives to traditional masculinity, and offer counterexamples to dominant gender roles. It will empower them to realize their health, well-being and dignity and develop respectful social and sexual relationships, to consider how their choices affects their wellbeing as well as others and understand and ensure the protection of their rights throughout their lives. 

This is a transformation for many, especially young women and girls, who have many misconceptions and experience sexism, and for communities who have been ignored by dominant media outlets and literacy will build inclusive, sustainable societies.

Now, more than ever, adolescents need information and skills that enable them to thrive as they transition to adulthood. Therefore, media must focus on gender and explore the influence of gender inequality and gender norms. Issues such as early pregnancy, unsafe abortion, and gender-based violence, along with their prevention, safe, responsible use of the internet and social media; tolerance, inclusion, and respect; and pleasure and enjoyment of one’s sexuality must be discussed. It must be a reflection of the broad concept of sexuality as a natural part of human development, promoting structured learning about sex and relationships in a manner that is positive, affirming, and centered on the best interest of the young person. 

Media must also be reformed to play a more positive influence on young people and society by representing diverse gender identities and sexual orientations on various programmes. Media must reflect on the importance of such content in shaping society's views on minority groups. Content creators must be empowered by various media outlets to add more positive content to media platforms and to have a positive influence on society.

We can counter gender insensitive media by being critical media consumers, who support better understanding around power-based violence and help confront harmful gender, relationship, and sexuality norms, by questioning media representations of gender, relationships and sexuality

Media is not “just a movie” or “just a song.” Society is heavily influenced by the same. Hence we must make ourselves and others literate about media so as to discourage the upholding of power imbalances and disallow gender and power based violence to flourish. 

The Family Planning Association of Sri Lanka, with the support of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) and the Swedish Association for Sexuality Education (RFSU), introduced a three-part Media Fellowship Program to capacitate creatives with subject knowledge and creative tools to develop content with the objective of addressing toxic narratives surrounding topics including the queer community in Sri Lanka, perspectives on abortion and general sexual and reproductive health. The Queer Media Fellowship Program concluded with 20 Fellows producing a wide variety of content that was published on various media platforms to increase the positive influence of media on addressing toxic narratives surrounding the queer community in Sri Lanka. Currently, the Abortion Media Fellowship Program and SRH Fellowship Program are ongoing.