Beyond 'Color Blind': Talking to Kids About Race and the Algorithm
How to help your kids navigate racial identity, social media memes, and the reality of representation in a digital world.
TL;DR: The "I don't see color" approach doesn't work when your kid’s YouTube feed is actively showing them the opposite. To raise kids who are culturally fluent and empathetic, we have to talk about race early and often—especially how it’s portrayed in the media they consume.
Quick recommendations for diverse, high-quality media:
- Ages 3-7: Hair Love, Sesame Street, and Molly of Denali.
- Ages 8-12: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Amari and the Night Brothers, and Miles Morales: Spider-Man.
- Ages 13+: The Hate U Give, American Born Chinese, and Abbott Elementary.
We’ve all heard it—the well-meaning "I just want my kids to be color-blind" sentiment. It sounds nice in theory, but in 2026, it’s basically a parenting myth. If we aren’t talking to our kids about race, the algorithm is doing it for us.
Between TikTok trends that use AAVE (African American Vernacular English) as a "funny voice," Roblox skin-tone controversies, and the subtle (or not-so-subtle) biases in YouTube recommendations, our kids are being bombarded with messages about what different races "look like" and "act like."
If we stay silent, we’re letting a bunch of engagement-hungry code define their worldview.
Algorithms aren't sentient, but they are biased. They prioritize what gets clicks. Unfortunately, "what gets clicks" often includes stereotypes, edgy humor that borders on racist, or "rage-bait" content.
Your kid might start by watching a harmless Minecraft tutorial and, three clicks later, end up on a "sigma" edit that uses racially coded language to mock "woke" culture. Or they might see memes where "Ohio" or "Skibidi" are used to describe anything "weird," but the "weirdness" being highlighted often involves people of color or non-Western cultures.
Learn more about how algorithms can create echo chambers for kids
For a long time, "diversity" in kids' media meant the protagonist had one friend of color who was there for comic relief or to give the hero advice. We're past that. We want media where characters of color have agency, messy lives, and heroic arcs that aren't just about their struggle with race.
This isn't just a "good superhero movie." It's a masterclass in representation. Miles Morales isn't just a "Black Spider-Man"—he’s a kid from Brooklyn with a specific family dynamic, a specific way of speaking, and a specific set of pressures. It treats his identity as a fact of life, not a "very special episode" plot point. Ages 7+
If your kid likes Harry Potter but you want something that feels more current and inclusive, this is it. It deals with class and race through the lens of a supernatural academy. It’s fun, fast-paced, and doesn't pull punches about how it feels to be "othered." Ages 8-12
This is one of the few "family-friendly" sitcoms that actually feels like real life. It’s hilarious, but it also touches on the systemic issues in underfunded schools without being a downer. It’s a great way to show kids (and teens) different perspectives on community and education. Ages 10+
We need to talk about "digital blackface." This is when non-Black people use Black emojis, slang, or reaction GIFs to express exaggerated emotions. Kids do this all the time without realizing it. They think they’re just being funny or using a "viral" sound.
When your kid uses a sound from a Black creator to act "sassy" or "angry" on a YouTube Short, it’s worth a conversation. Not a lecture, but a question: "Do you know where that sound came from? Why do you think people use that specific voice when they want to seem funny or aggressive?"
Preschool & Early Elementary (Ages 3-7)
At this age, kids are noticing physical differences. Don't shush them if they point out someone's skin color in the grocery store! Instead, lean in. "Yes, they have beautiful dark skin, just like Molly of Denali has beautiful tan skin."
- Focus on: Celebrating differences and ensuring their toy box and bookshelf aren't a sea of one color.
- Media: Hair Love is a must-watch short film about a Black father learning to do his daughter's hair. It’s pure, beautiful, and normalizes Black joy.
Middle Childhood (Ages 8-12)
This is when kids start seeing "us vs. them" dynamics in games like Roblox or Fortnite. They might notice that certain "skins" (character looks) are treated differently or that players use racial slurs in voice chat.
- Focus on: Empathy and being an "upstander." If they hear a slur in a game, what do they do? (Hint: Mute, report, and leave the lobby).
- Media: American Born Chinese (the graphic novel) is incredible for discussing the feeling of trying to fit in while navigating two different cultures.
Teens (Ages 13+)
Teens are navigating the "edgy" side of the internet. They are exposed to sophisticated racial commentary—and sophisticated racial radicalization.
- Focus on: Media literacy. Ask them, "Who made this video? What is the goal of this meme? Why is the algorithm showing you this?"
- Media: The Hate U Give (book or movie) is the gold standard for talking about systemic racism and police brutality in a way that resonates with Gen Z.
You might hear your kid say "Only in Ohio" or call something "Ohio" to mean it’s weird or "cringe." While this started as a joke about the state of Ohio being a weird place, it morphed. In some corners of the internet, "Ohio" became a dog whistle for videos featuring urban environments or people of color behaving "erratically."
Most kids have no idea about the darker undercurrents of the memes they use. They’re just trying to speak the language of their peers. Your job isn't to ban the word "Ohio," but to stay aware of the context. If their feed is 100% "weird Ohio" videos that only feature one demographic, that’s a red flag.
You don't need a PowerPoint. You just need to be observant.
- Watch with them. When a character of color appears on Disney+, is their story interesting? Or are they just the "best friend"?
- Ask "Why?" "Why do you think the 'bad guys' in this game all have the same accent?"
- Check the "Skins." In games like Minecraft, ask them how they choose their avatar. Do they feel like they can represent themselves—or others—respectfully?
- Acknowledge the awkwardness. It’s okay to say, "I’m still learning how to talk about this, but I noticed this meme felt a bit mean-spirited toward [X group]. What do you think?"
Raising kids in a digital world means we can't just hope they "turn out" okay. We have to be intentional. We have to curate their feeds, diversify their bookshelves, and—most importantly—keep the dialogue open.
Race isn't a "taboo" topic; it’s a fundamental part of the human experience. If we don't give them the tools to understand it, the algorithm will give them a version that’s probably distorted, biased, and "brain rot" adjacent.
- Audit their feed: Spend 10 minutes looking at their YouTube or TikTok "For You" page. Who is talking? Who is the "main character"?
- Swap one show: Replace a generic "brain rot" show with something like The Dragon Prince which features a diverse cast in a high-fantasy setting.
- Read together: Grab a copy of New Kid by Jerry Craft and read it with your middle-schooler. It’s funny, relatable, and a great conversation starter.
Take the Screenwise Survey to see how your family's media diversity compares to your community