About Child and media
This course examines a variety of questions related to children’s use and understanding of the media, and to the role of the media in their social and personality development. How do media shape and socialize us? How does exposure to TV programs, movies, magazines, and the internet shape children’s understanding of gender roles, and societal norms (e.g., dating and sexuality)? Does watching violence on television or enacting violent behavior in video games contribute to aggressiveness in children? Do the portrayals of males and females in music videos and magazine advertising adversely affect adolescents’ self-concept, body image, and self-esteem? In this course we will discuss these and other questions, will critically examine experimental methodology used to test these issues, and will review several theoretical perspectives describing links between children and the media.