From M/Cyclopedia of New Media
Kelly Mothershaw
Hi! My name is Kelly Mothershaw. I am studying Mass Communication majoring in Public Relations and Media and Communication at the Queensland University of Technology
I work at RE/MAX Results on Saturdays and Gloria Jeans during the week.
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Research Proposal
Click here to see my Research Proposal on Computer Technology and Children.
Annotated Bibliography
Topic: The Impact of New Media (particularly the internet, cable television, and computer/video games) on Children
Books
Bazalgette, C., & Buckingham, D. (1995). In Front of the Children: Screen Entertainment and Young Audiences. Great Britain: St Edmundsbury Press Ltd, ISBN 0851704522
- This book includes thirteen essays by British and American writers. The book takes a slightly different focus - instead of discussing the effect of children’s consumption of ‘adult’ media, it focuses on media produced specifically for children, discussing the monitoring of role models, moral lessons, stereotypes, and the powerful effects of these on children. It is mainly concerned with screen entertainment (film and television) however it also brings in discussions about interactive television and video games and the moral panic surrounding these, raising issues such as censorship, possible effects of sex and violence, and other social effects of computer game culture.
Buckingham, D. (1993). Reading Audiences: Young people and the media. Manchester: Manchester University Press, ISBN 0719038707
- This book discusses the role that the media plays in forming the ‘social, sexual and cultural identites of today’s youth’. It includes studies of media such as television, comics, video and fiction novels and the effect that these have on children. The book focuses on the way that children handle the media that they consume. I included this resource because it takes on a slightly alternative approach to most research and aims not to find the ‘effects’ of media on children, but rather the way they make sense of the media. The author takes the stance that children are not passive recipients of media such as television and video games, rather they are ‘active participants in constructing their own social lives and identities’.
Calvert, S., Jordan, A., & Cocking, R. (2002). Children in the Digital Age: Influences of Electronic Media on Development. Westport: Praeger Publishers, ISBN 0275976521
- This book is a useful, up to date resource that provides an insight into several issues of importance such as the impact of computer use and electronic media on children’s development, behavioural effects of media (including identity construction on the internet, issues of access and content, political socialisation and violent video games), and cognitive effects of media (such as effects of online forums). It examines the different media that children spend considerable leisure time engaging in (including how they use and interact with these) and analyses the impact that these have on children’s cognitive and social development. It also discusses the role these interactive media play in shaping children’s lives. The book also includes several surveys, figures and tables that are very resourceful and points to directions for future research on the topic.
Gorman, L., & McLean, D. (2003). Media and Society in the Twentieth Century : A Historical Introduction. United Kingdom: TJ International Ltd, ISBN 0631222340
- This book is a helpful resource as it provides a general up to date (2003) overview on new media. Of particular interest are the chapters on ‘Media, Information, and Entertainment’, ‘New Media’, and ‘Globalization and Media’ which discuss how mass media has developed, and the emergence of ‘new media’. It discusses individual mediums such as video, internet and the world wide web, pay television, and multimedia as well as issues surrounding these such as development, rate of growth, social impacts, content, access, etc. This book is useful for gathering background information on new media and it’s impact on society to get a broad idea on the topic before delving into the more specific topic of its impact on children.
Spalding, B., Gilding, J., & Patrick, K. (1996). Management of Student Access to Controversial Material on the Internet. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service, ISBN 0644360631
- This report was made by the National Board of Employment, Education and Training Schools Council as part of a project. In this project, and as summarised in the report, they aim to explore the nature and extent of student access to controversial material on the internet, views on this issue, possible solutions, and technical options available to control access. The report outlines how they went about the project and their findings. It is a useful resource as it shows another perspective on the topic of children and the internet delving into more regulatory issues such such as access, censorship, regulations, legal precedents, etc.
Strasburger, V., & Wilson, B. (2002). Children, Adolescents, & the Media. California: Sage Publications Inc, ISBN 0761921257
- This book is a highly useful resource that provides up-to-date comprehensive information about the impact of modern media on the development of children. There were three sections that were of particular interest for my topic. The most valuable was the section on the internet, outlining concerns about the internet and the way these are effecting children. Concerns include sex on the net, satanism and religious proselytizing, drugs, gambling, terrorism, hate speech and hate groups, alcohol and tobacco advertising and children’s privacy. It also includes some suggestions for solutions to these concerns such as by government regulation, blocking technology and media literacy. The section on media violence was also useful and included experimental, correlational and longitudinal studies on whether media violence can lead to aggression. It also raised issues such as whether cognitive priming and social learning are effected by media violence. The third section was about electronic games and included discussions about issues such as game ratings, classification, violent games (including research on the short and long term effects of playing these games), health risks and education.
Valkenburg, P. (2004). Children’s Responses to the Screen: A Media Psychological Approach. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, ISBN 0805847642
- This book focuses specifically on “screen� media (television, films, video and computer games, and the internet). It includes up to date theories and research as well as current studies on the effects that the above media have on children. It begins with a historical overview of children and the media, and proceeds with current issues such as media violence and aggression (including experiments, studies and theories), uses of interactive media (websites for children, commercial websites, types of video and computer games, access to the internet and video/computer games) and effects of interactive media (physical effects, cognitive effects, emotional and social effects). This last section was very useful as it provided a great deal of detailed information about the negative effects of interactive media on children.
Von Feilitzen, C., & Carlsson, U. (1999). Children and Media: Image Education Participation. Sweden: Livrena Grafiska AB, ISBN 9163078759
- This book provides analytical information regarding educating children about the media and raising awareness about media issues. It includes contributions from researchers, teachers, media professionals and representatives of voluntary organisations in different parts of the world regarding how children relate to mass media as cultural phenomena. It aims to present examples of children’s media education and participation in different parts of the world. The articles are categorised under the following : children’s access to media and media use, the image of the child in the media, media education and children’s participation in the media. An article of particular interest was “Children’s Changing Media Environment�, which provided a general overview of how new media such as cable television, computer games and the internet are transforming the everyday lives of children. “The Online Kids� was also of relevance, focusing on children and the internet, and “Communication Media : For or Against Education� gave an insight into the effect that new media has on children’s education.
Websites and Journal Articles
Carpenter, S. (2000, December). In the digital age, experts pause to examine effects on kids. Monitor on Psychology, 31. Retrieved 12th August, 2004, from [1]
- This article discusses how the proliferation of interactive and digital technologies has both positively and negatively effected children’s daily routines. After stating some of the risks aswell as benefits that new media can bring, the author warns that the effects of interactive technology on children's development are likely to be more complex and more research is required to gain a better understanding on the matter.
Clay, R. (2003, February). Unraveling new media's effects on children. APA Monitor, 34 (2). Retrieved August 12, 2004, from [2]
- This article discusses how the rapidly expanding use of new media (such as video games and the internet) by children between the ages of 2 and 18 has resulted in a newfound interest by researchers and psychologists. Groups of psychologists have been given grants to study how interactive media is effecting children’s cognitive, emotional and social development. The article highlights the fact that society is now taking this issue seriously.
Gauntlett, D., (2003). Ten things wrong with the ‘effects model’. Retrieved 12th August, 2004, from [3]
- This article takes an interesting approach to the topic by outlining 10 flaws in the mainstream approach taken to research on the issue, giving a flip-side perspective. Considering the view taken by most researchers, some of the flaws that Gauntlett states are:
- They tackle social problems 'backwards'
- They treat children as inadequate
- Studies are often based on artificial studies or studies with misapplied methodology
- They are selective in their criticisms of media depictions of violence
- They make no attempt to understand meanings of the media
- It is important to note that Gauntlett does believe that the impact of new media should be investigated and considered, however he thinks a more sensitive and rational approach should be taken.
Kelly Mothershaw 22:46, 12 Aug 2004 (EST)
