Dramatic Influence of Media and New Technologies on Children's Lives
Discuss the ways in which the media and new technologies have had a dramatic impact upon children’s lives
This essay will look at how the representation of childhood on British television has changed and the part the media and new technology may have played in this change. It will discuss Postman’s (1983) concept of the death of childhood, and media manipulation, and compare it with Tapscott’s (1998) view of children gaining empowerment through the media. It will look at other forms of media and new technologies, how they impact on children’s lives and how they integrate to create intertextuality. Finally It will briefly discuss Martin Barker’s media case study and look at how children create their own media.
The images of childhood represented in television have changed in the past few decades. Gone is the view of childhood as a time spent making things and doing activities, where children’s main influences were their parents and where children were seen as un-knowledgeable, passive and accepting. Children are now seen as active and knowledgeable media consumers who spend more time on media related activities than any other activity. While parents are still heavily influential, television offers a perspective and influence previously unknown. Joshua Meyrowitz in his reading ‘The blurring of childhood and adulthood’ stated,
‘Television now escorts children across the globe even before they have permission to cross the street’ (M.J. Kehily & J. Swann, 2003 p217).
The un-knowledgeable, passive child has been replaced by the media savvy, active, challenging child who commands entertainment.
Children’s television has changed dramatically in the last few decades, from a small number of programmes at specific times of the day, on only one or two television channels, to an abundance of programmes available at all times in many formats; terrestrial television, cable, satellite, video and dvd, and with whole channels dedicated solely to children’s
This essay will look at how the representation of childhood on British television has changed and the part the media and new technology may have played in this change. It will discuss Postman’s (1983) concept of the death of childhood, and media manipulation, and compare it with Tapscott’s (1998) view of children gaining empowerment through the media. It will look at other forms of media and new technologies, how they impact on children’s lives and how they integrate to create intertextuality. Finally It will briefly discuss Martin Barker’s media case study and look at how children create their own media.
The images of childhood represented in television have changed in the past few decades. Gone is the view of childhood as a time spent making things and doing activities, where children’s main influences were their parents and where children were seen as un-knowledgeable, passive and accepting. Children are now seen as active and knowledgeable media consumers who spend more time on media related activities than any other activity. While parents are still heavily influential, television offers a perspective and influence previously unknown. Joshua Meyrowitz in his reading ‘The blurring of childhood and adulthood’ stated,
‘Television now escorts children across the globe even before they have permission to cross the street’ (M.J. Kehily & J. Swann, 2003 p217).
The un-knowledgeable, passive child has been replaced by the media savvy, active, challenging child who commands entertainment.
Children’s television has changed dramatically in the last few decades, from a small number of programmes at specific times of the day, on only one or two television channels, to an abundance of programmes available at all times in many formats; terrestrial television, cable, satellite, video and dvd, and with whole channels dedicated solely to children’s
References: M.J. Kehily & J. Swann, (2003) Children’s Cultural Worlds, John Wiley & sons Ltd in association with The Open University U212 Media Kit, Video 3 Band 8 Cheesy Productions, (2003) The Open University U212 Media Kit, Audio 6 Band 6 Martin Barker on a media case study, (2003) The Open University