Media and Youth

A look at the world media landscape for children and youth immediately presents two opposing themes: opportunities and risks. For example, globalization of media brings opportunities to broaden children’s outlooks and provide more equal access to information, but it also threatens cultural identification and values. Technological advances bring the promise of new skills and greater youth participation in society, but also increase the risk of child exploitation and informational divides. There is an urgent need for societies to both protect youth and empower them to shape their own media environments, as spelled out by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and increasingly by media experts and educators around the globe.
This overview of trends and issues concerning young people and the media is based on a broad review of existing print and electronic sources, interviews with child media experts from different regions, and analysis of InterMedia’s surveys in transitional and developing countries. The trends and issues highlighted here—from young people’s media options and behavior, to the quality and influence of media aimed at them—all point to the need for more effective use of the vast positive potential of mass media and new technologies to advocate for, and enrich the lives of, children and young people worldwide.
Children/Young People & Media in the World Today
Approximately one-third of the world’s population is made up of 2 billion young people under 18.
They make up half the population in the least developed nations; less than a quarter in the most industrialized ones. Their challenges range from basic survival to discrimination and exploitation.
Moreover, there are myriad differences in cultures, traditions and values.
Nevertheless, children and youth everywhere share some universal traits. They are fundamentally more optimistic, more open and curious than their adult counterparts. Increasingly, children are