In Chapter 5 of W. James Potter's Media Literacy, he examines children as a special audience and how they are perceived by the public and policy making institutions.
The argument made in the chapter is that children, in general, should be sheltered from specific media based on the idea that they lack the maturity or experience to fully comprehend this media and its messages. It is believed that because children are going through cognitive, emotional, and moral developments, there needs to be regulations on media targeted at children. This ranges from various kinds of content censorship to advertisement regulations and beyond.
The argument made in the chapter is that children, in general, should be sheltered from specific media based on the idea that they lack the maturity or experience to fully comprehend this media and its messages. It is believed that because children are going through cognitive, emotional, and moral developments, there needs to be regulations on media targeted at children. This ranges from various kinds of content censorship to advertisement regulations and beyond.
All television programming, movies, and video games have a rating system they abides by. There are limitations on the length and content of commercial advertisements. There are "Parental Advisory" stickers on CD's with objectionable material. We now have content filters on our TV's and computers, acting as digital locks to keep children away from whatever material we want. All of these things are an attempt to protect the kids.
And it is obvious that children do need protection, but it's also obvious that not everyone shares the same experiences and not everyone matures at the same rate. Children shouldn't be exposed to certain material at certain ages, but I don't believe the primary regulator of this should be the FCC. It should be parents. Media literate parents should know their children and be able to make their own judgments on what material is and isn't suitable for them.
However, I don't really think there is an exact science to it. And like it or not, children are probably going to see things that parents don't want them to see. I know I did, but I'm pretty sure my parents think I turned out just fine.
A great tool I would recommend for interested parents would be the website CommonSenseMedia.
It is a website that posts detailed content information on all kinds of media including movies, television programs, videogames, books, and even YouTube videos, and what age level they are appropriate for. It's very interesting stuff. Parents, check it out.
Unless you want your kids watching things like this.
Take care,
Dustin
good blog Dustin and I very much agree with you that it should not be the FCC's agenda or whatever to protect kids from negative things they see on tv or listen to on the radio, it should in fact be the parents and they should be the ones monitoring their children, not someone else as the FCC didn't have the kids, raise them, etc, their parents did and that should be their own responsibilty, no one elses.
ReplyDeleteThe author argues that, "It is believed that because children are going through cognitive, emotional, and moral developments, there needs to be regulations on media targeted at children. This ranges from various kinds of content censorship to advertisement regulations and beyond."
ReplyDeleteDustin does a good job of supporting that argument by using the following examples:
"All television programming, movies, and video games have a rating system they abide by. There are limitations on the length and content of commercial advertisements. There are "Parental Advisory" stickers on CD's with objectionable material. We now have content filters on our TV's and computers, acting as digital locks to keep children away from whatever material we want."
I agree with both the author and Dustin's points. Dustin is right, it's not an exact science, but when parents take an authentic interest in what technology their children are being exposed to, then media literacy is being practiced and modeled to the next generation.
I love your stance on this subject, about how Children are different, and thus need different attention.
ReplyDeleteI made a note in another blog comment about how "Children are better known by their parents, not the Government", so why is the Government regulating our stuff?
And oh god that video was hilarious.
"I don't think so"