The topic of this thesis are the problems and perspectives that parents face in modern upbringing and are brought by different media. The presence of the media in today's age is undeniable, both in the lives of adults and children. They are present in all fields, from play and free time to kindergartens, schools and further in education and the business segment of life. This paper therefore explains the influence of the media on children in the most important period of their lives. Different types of media to which children are exposed in larger or smaller quantities are shown. These are printed media i.e., newspapers and books, and electronic media, i.e. television, radio and the Internet. Furthermore, the paper shows the importance of parents' authority in upbringing in general and in media education. Educational institutions are of great importance in the early education of children. Their role in media education is also explained. In addition, the paper brings insight into research on the presence and use of certain media in the world and Croatia. The positive influence of the media in children's lives is most evident in education, where it has been shown that it can serve as a powerful tool. It is important to use them consciously and thoughtfully, with a dose of criticism and an emphasis on media literacy. Parents and educators have an important role themselves. They need to be aware of their own use of the media and develop the ability to distinguish between quality and low-quality media content. On the other hand, the negative impact is manifested through violence in the media, addiction to the Internet, various types of cybercrime, advertisements targeting children and negative portrayal of children in print media. Parents play the most important role in creating a positive and quality relationship with the media. They still have an irreplaceable authority role which they should responsibly exercise and nurture. If they want to carry out quality education and raise happy and responsible children who will know how to use the media in an appropriate way, they should invest quality time and educate themselves in the media by developing media literacy.