From the daily morning newspaper to the late night films, we are exposed to an awful array of images. In fact, it can be said that these images of the media control all that we think and do. We see the world through the eyes of the media. The most vulnerable to this onslaught have been children.
Today's child is exposed not only to the medium of print but also to the ever-influential medium of film, television, and the Internet. As Wilbur Schramm, a communication expert pointed out, "overnight a new box has appeared around which all leisure is organized."
The child and the adolescent of today live in a highly complex socio-cultural environment in which many forces, influences, and impacts have constant interplay. Children below 18 years constitute a very vulnerable section of the population in the world. It can be said that before long, television will succeed in creating a universal child viewer whose demands for information, entertainment, and socialization will be very different from what they are today. Here lies the real challenge for cinema and television dedicated to children.
With the steady increase in the number of DVD's offering a haphazard collection of televised fiction, Internet connections, and cybercafes, the urban home is being invaded by all sorts of alien and destabilizing influences that sometimes make nonsense of parental direction or guidance. High voltage video music with all its glitz and sensuality, expressed through provocative body language, is yet another entertainment format which is assaulting the juvenile psyche.
Researches have shown that television viewing constitutes a significant chunk of children's leisure time activities. Dance shows, music videos, quiz shows, reality shows, films, sports, and advertisements constitute their main areas of interest. Advertisements have a marked impact in the eating habits of children and the buying habits of families. Likewise, the exposure to violence and sex has had a impact on the behavior of children. Parents and teachers have found this very distressing.
Contrary to popular belief, studies have found that children are selective about the programs they watch or hear. They enjoy fantasy, action, adventure, and fast paced programs and films. Radio features very low in their list of interests.
Here are some tips to help children become an 'educated' consumer of the media:
