Media literacy is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and communicate in both print and electronic formats. It also is understanding that most media have commercial implications and that the companies that produce and control the media are becoming concentrated, that is, owned by fewer and fewer companies.

Advertisers aggressively market to teens, spending an estimated $23.4 billion per year on them. Even in schools, advertisers reach teens with vehicles like Channel One, a news program littered with ads. Youth are bombarded with media images, spending about 5 hours a day with various forms, including television, magazines, and the Internet.

To become "active," rather than "passive," consumers of the media, teens need to arm themselves with the skills to become media literate.

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