This paper examines the role of the contemporary media in the socialization of children. The paper is divided into two parts. The first part is an overview of the theories and researches on the mass media and it tries to answer the question of the impact of media on consumers of media content, especially on children as part of the population that is growing up with media, consuming it from an early age. Particular attention is given to the risk of potential negative media impacts, such as violence scenes, online addiction, cyberbulling and the impact of advertising messages. The second part of the paper displays analysis and conclusions based on the research of the role of media in the socialization of children. The sample consisted of 145 fourth-grade pupils in three elementary schools in Croatia. It was found that the media presence is increasing in homes and children's bedrooms. Television is the most widely used medium in Croatia, as same as in the rest of the world. The results indicate increased use of new media such as mobile phones, computers and the Internet. Furthermore, there is increasing trend of children's presence on social networks. Children are using media in a limited extent and mainly are controlled by a parent/guardian, although frequency of conversations about media content is low. This tendency suggests that although parents/guardians, who are considered to have the most important role in the upbringing of children for responsible use of the media, are not up to the task. That brings us to conclusion that media literacy is required. The basic goal of media education is to equip children and parents to use the media in a responsible and independent manner, as well as to develop a mature, critical attitude towards them.