The primary purpose of this study is to compare and clarify the concepts of media literacy, media education, and media upbringing, and subsequently to propose a localized model for the media upbringing of Tehran students. Conducted within the interpretive paradigm, the research employed a qualitative approach grounded in the principles of Grounded Theory, with a particular focus on Glaser’s classical methodology. The participants comprised thirteen experts representing four key fields—media, education, academia, and cultural organizations—selected through purposive and snowball sampling techniques. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews and analyzed in three stages: open coding, axial coding, and selective coding. To ensure the validity of the data collection instrument, theoretical validation and expert assessment were applied, while data reliability was confirmed using Cohen’s Kappa coefficient, yielding a value of 0.64, indicative of acceptable agreement. The findings demonstrate that the proposed model for media upbringing is structured around three principal dimensions: education, encompassing four levels of training directed at students, families, teachers, and the general public; supervision, implemented at the levels of family, society, and schools; and culture-building, aimed at fostering cultural awareness and responsible media engagement within families, society, and schools. Current perspectives on media literacy, media education, and media upbringing predominantly emphasize the educational dimension, leaving the equally important aspects of culture-building and supervision largely overlooked. This study addresses this gap by identifying and integrating these neglected dimensions into a comprehensive and context-sensitive framework that not only promotes informed and critical media engagement among students but also aligns with the socio-cultural realities of the local environment, thereby supporting the development of responsible and culturally aware media practices.