Initial Ideas

Children and the Media
What is REALLY happening when children view "violence" in the media?

Much discussion about violence and the media centres on the idea that it is BAD for children to watch it, yet children themselves clearly ENJOY watching violence. Tis idea thsi it is bad for children to see too much violence rests on very simplistic notions of the "effects" of the media. Effects models are too simplistic, and nobody has ever proved a media "effect". See http://www.theory.org.uk/david/effects.htm for a discussion of the problems.

Also, "violence" in these discussions is always a single, unified thing. All "violence" is assumed to be the same. But in fact, a violent act committed by a criminal who then gets punished for it MUST have a different meaning to a violent act committed by, say, Batman as he defends a load of people from a crazy madman intent on taking over the world. Characters, and the position of violence in a narrative, etc etc, plus the "modality" of the text itself (it's perceived closeness to reality), all change the nature of violence, as well, of course, as the level of violence in the act itself.

What is really going on when children consume violence? Are they actually LEARNING about complex issues such as morality, justice, revenge, authority etc, and their relationship to these concepts? Could watching violence actually be GOOD for children????

What to do:

1. Secondary reading on media effects, "violence" etc.

2. Textual analysis of some "violent" scenes. Tom and Jerry, Horror text, Home Alone, the news, Superman, a clip with a criminal being violent, etc etc. Explore the MEANINGS of violence and how they vary depending on character, narrative context and modality...

3. Primary research with children - showing them clips and discussing their meanings.