Screens have become constant companions, the messages people consume every day shape how they think, what they value, and how they see themselves. For author, media literacy advocate and founder of Jade Media Communications, Jadesola Popoola, helping people recognise that influence has become a lifelong mission.
Driven by faith, Jadesola champions what she calls Media Literacy with a Godly Lens, an approach that encourages children, parents, schools, churches and communities to engage with media critically while remaining grounded in biblical values. Her work extends beyond media education into women’s wellness through Body Love, an initiative that challenges unrealistic beauty standards and encourages women to embrace their God-given worth.
In this conversation with Exquisite Magazine, she shares the calling behind her work, why media literacy has become an essential life skill, and her vision for raising a generation that is wise, discerning and confident in its identity.
Your work sits at the intersection of media literacy, faith and wellness. What personal experiences led you to build your life’s work around these three areas?
My work in media literacy, faith and wellness is divinely inspired. I received what I believe was God’s calling to pursue media literacy with a godly lens when I was about 18 years old. Since then, I have been committed to helping people understand the powerful influence media has on our lives.
Over the years, many experiences have reinforced that calling. My own life has shown me how deeply media can influence people, whether positively or negatively, and I have seen the same pattern reflected in countless others.
The wellness aspect naturally grew from this work because media literacy is an umbrella that covers many areas of life. The media shapes how people see themselves, influences confidence, aspirations, body image and self-worth. Body Love was born from recognising that connection. It became an extension of my media literacy work because helping people think critically about media also means helping them develop healthier perspectives about themselves.
Ultimately, my mission is to help people become more discerning about what they consume and to recognise that media has a profound impact on individuals and society.
You describe yourself as a pioneer of “Media Literacy with a Godly Lens”. What does that concept mean, and why is it especially relevant today?
Media is far more than a source of information. It teaches, introduces ideas and shapes perspectives. It can become the primary voice that influences how people think about life if there is no stronger voice to guide them.
Media Literacy with a Godly Lens teaches people to analyse media critically while measuring every message against biblical truth. It is not enough to ask whether a message is popular or entertaining. We must also ask whether it aligns with God’s values.
For example, media may present cybercrime as an easy way to make money or portray destructive behaviours as acceptable. A person who applies a biblical perspective recognises that these actions are wrong regardless of how they are packaged.
We also see films and television programmes promoting ideas that encourage people to reject family life or redefine values that Scripture clearly addresses. Media literacy with a godly lens helps people recognise these messages instead of accepting them without question.
This is especially important today because media has become an ever-present teacher. It quietly shapes opinions, beliefs and behaviour, often without people even realising it. That hidden influence makes discernment more necessary than ever.
As the founder of Jade Media Communications, what are some of the biggest media-related challenges you see affecting children, parents, schools and churches?
Children are learning about life, relationships, success, identity and even morality from media before many parents have those conversations with them. Their perspectives are being formed during the most impressionable years of their lives.
Many parents do not fully understand the scale of media’s influence because they did not grow up in such a media-saturated environment. Schools are largely focused on academic achievement, yet media is shaping students just as powerfully. That is why media literacy should be part of education rather than treated as an optional topic.
Churches also have an important role to play. Too often, believers consume the same messages as everyone else, allowing culture to influence them rather than influencing culture themselves.
One example is the “Devious Licks” trend in the United States, where students vandalised school property and posted videos online. It spread rapidly because young people copied what they repeatedly saw on social media. It demonstrated how easily media can normalise destructive behaviour when critical thinking is absent.
The first step is greater awareness. People need to understand how media influences them before they can respond wisely.
Many people view media as harmless entertainment. In what ways do you believe it shapes values, identity and behaviour without people realising it?
Media rarely changes people overnight. It shapes them gradually through repeated exposure.
Advertising has always relied on repetition because marketers understand that familiarity influences decisions. Entertainment functions in much the same way. The messages people consume repeatedly begin to shape their beliefs, expectations and behaviour.
If girls constantly see one body type celebrated, many begin comparing themselves to that standard. If aggression is consistently rewarded in entertainment, some boys may begin to see it as desirable. When luxury is repeatedly presented as the definition of success, people can begin to value appearance above purpose.
Media even influences language. New phrases and expressions quickly become part of everyday conversation after gaining popularity online.
That is why people must stop consuming media passively. They need to engage with it consciously, asking questions and thinking critically about the messages they are absorbing.
Your children’s book, “Sometimes I Watch Things”, introduces media literacy at an early age. Why is it important to begin these conversations with children rather than waiting until they are older?
Children do not suddenly become media consumers as teenagers. Many begin interacting with smartphones before they can even read properly.
If media is already shaping them, then media education should begin just as early. We teach children to look both ways before crossing the road and to avoid talking to strangers before they encounter danger. Media literacy should work in the same way by preparing children before they face unhealthy influences.
Sometimes I Watch Things was written to help children understand that not everything they watch is automatically good or acceptable. It encourages them, in an age-appropriate way, to ask questions and develop discernment.
Even content designed for very young children can contain harmful messages. My hope is that children grow into adults who think critically, recognise unhealthy influences and make wise decisions rather than accepting everything they see.
Your annual initiative, Body Love, encourages women to reject unrealistic beauty standards. What inspired you to start this movement?
Body Love began with concern for the messages women continually absorb about their appearance.
Much of today’s media tells women they are not enough unless they change how they look. That belief has contributed to the rise of cosmetic procedures and unhealthy beauty practices, with many women risking their wellbeing in pursuit of constantly changing trends.
I wanted to create a platform that reminds women their value is not determined by appearance. As a Christian, I believe every person has inherent worth because they were created by God.
Body Love encourages women to embrace themselves fully, reject harmful beauty standards and understand that trends will always change, but their value never does.
Social media constantly promotes changing beauty ideals. What practical advice would you give women who are struggling to separate their self-worth from their appearance?
The first question I encourage women to ask is, “Who told me I wasn’t enough?”
When people honestly answer that question, they often discover that the messages came from repeated media exposure rather than from those who genuinely love them.
Another important step is intentionally curating your social media feed. Algorithms simply respond to what people engage with. If someone continually interacts with content that fuels comparison and insecurity, they will see more of it.
Instead, fill your feed with content that encourages spiritual growth, personal development, business, learning and wisdom.
Most importantly, understand that your worth is innate. Appearance should never define value because physical trends constantly change. Identity rooted in God does not.
Practising gratitude for what your body enables you to do, rather than becoming consumed by appearance, also helps create a healthier perspective.
Your work consistently points people back to truth and godly values. How can faith help people make wiser decisions about the media they consume?
Faith provides a filter.
Without a clear foundation, people are far more likely to accept whatever media presents as normal or desirable. Scripture gives us a standard against which every message can be measured.
In my children’s book, every section includes a question asking readers how the message compares with God’s values and biblical teaching. That simple exercise encourages children to evaluate media rather than simply absorbing it.
Media consumes our time, attention and emotions just as much as we consume it. Faith helps ensure that influence leads us towards truth rather than deception.
As an author, civil servant, advocate and founder, how have you balanced these different roles while remaining committed to your purpose?
I do not see myself as having several different purposes. I see one purpose expressed through different roles.
Whether I am writing books, leading Body Love, advocating for media literacy or serving in my profession, the mission remains the same. I want to help people live healthier, wiser and more discerning lives that are guided by God.
The different roles simply provide different opportunities to fulfil that single calling.
Looking ahead, what impact do you hope your work in media literacy, women’s wellness and value-based education will have on the next generation?
I hope the next generation grows up equipped, not merely educated.
I want children to think critically about the media they consume instead of accepting everything they see as truth. I want young women to appreciate themselves as God created them rather than measuring themselves against unrealistic online standards.
I hope parents feel confident discussing media at home, schools recognise media literacy as an essential life skill, and churches equip believers to navigate today’s digital culture with wisdom and discernment.
Ultimately, I want to see a generation that is secure in its identity, grounded in godly values and capable of influencing culture instead of simply being influenced by it.
Media literacy is no longer optional. Every day people are exposed to thousands of messages that quietly shape their thinking, values and sense of identity. Through Jade Media Communications, my books and my programmes, my goal is to help people engage thoughtfully with media, remain rooted in God’s truth and live confidently in the identity He has given them.
If more children become critical thinkers, more women embrace their God-given worth and more families become intentional about what shapes their minds, then I will know the work has made a lasting difference.
A Final Word
Jadesola Popoola’s work reminds us that media is never just entertainment. Every message has the potential to influence beliefs, choices and identity. Her mission challenges individuals, families and institutions to engage with media thoughtfully while remaining anchored in timeless values that promote wisdom, confidence and healthy living.
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Written by Aliyah O.
