Ch 3: Children & Electronic Media Negative Relation (mostly defined & perceived) Negative Relation (mostly defined & perceived) –Children ’ s vulnerability exploited –Individuality undermined –Innocence destroyed –Parents ’ fear? Nostalgia? Scholars ’ pessimism? Emerging positive view (about technology … ) Emerging positive view (about technology … ) –Powerful media literacy possessed by children –New opportunities to learn; empowerment, liberation –For creativity, community, self-fulfillment

Nightmares & Utopia Digital and Interactive Digital and Interactive –Computer good? –Television bad? Prev. AKA “ teaching machine ” Educational Potentials Educational Potentials Imitative Violence (with realistic graphics) Imitative Violence (with realistic graphics) Effects on Imagination and Academic Achievement Effects on Imagination and Academic Achievement Addition, Anti-Social, Less Human Interaction Addition, Anti-Social, Less Human Interaction New Form of Learning, Literacy, Democracy New Form of Learning, Literacy, Democracy Mythology about Children? About Technology? Mythology about Children? About Technology?

Technological Determinism Technology is seen to emerge from a neutral process of scientific research and development, rather than from the interplay of complex social, economic and political forces Technology is seen to emerge from a neutral process of scientific research and development, rather than from the interplay of complex social, economic and political forces Hard sphere transferred to Soft sphere Hard sphere transferred to Soft sphere

Four Key Books (Utopian View) 1. Growing Up Digital by Tapscott 2. The Connected Family by Papert 3. Virtuous Reality by Katz 4. Playing the Future by Rushkoff Postman: Postman: –Death of childhood –Powerful media influence children Authors above (Social decline vs. Social progress) Authors above (Social decline vs. Social progress) –Mirroring ‘ death of childhood ’ –Powerful children empowered by new media technology

Binary Opposition TV as passive TV as passive Singular view of the world Singular view of the world Isolation Isolation Conservative, hierarchical, inflexible Conservative, hierarchical, inflexible The Net as active The Net as active Democratic & interactive Democratic & interactive Community Community Hungry for expression, discovery, development Hungry for expression, discovery, development

Optimism about Digital Democratization Democratization Freedom of choice & expression Freedom of choice & expression Openness Openness Innovation Innovation Collaboration Collaboration

Things to Consider (1) Technology-Rich vs. Technology Poor Technology-Rich vs. Technology Poor –Equipment? –Social Structure? –Technical Expertise? –Pedagogical Perspectives? Democracy or More Surveillance? Democracy or More Surveillance? New Technology = New Learning? New Technology = New Learning? MIT: $100 Laptop Computer

Things to Consider (2) Sexual content harmful? Sexual content harmful? –Centralized control undermined by technology –Subversive nature of children culture –Not to prevent access but to enable them to cope with New, old media vs. New, old cultural forms New, old media vs. New, old cultural forms Natural Wisdom of Youth? Natural Wisdom of Youth? Evolution of the Species? Evolution of the Species?

Limits of Optimism Children as active agents dealing with media? What is omitted? Children as active agents dealing with media? What is omitted? How technologies are designed, marketed, and actually used by real children? How technologies are designed, marketed, and actually used by real children? “ Diversity ”, “ freedom of choice ”, …..proven? Or increase in quantity (hence in profitability) “ Diversity ”, “ freedom of choice ”, …..proven? Or increase in quantity (hence in profitability) Educational benefits realized? By who? Educational benefits realized? By who? Issues about cultural and technological “ capital ” ; Social context. Issues about cultural and technological “ capital ” ; Social context.

怪異現象 : 電腦展 & 書展辣妹 AV 女星到處 秀 書展也不例外 引發家長憂心

CH4: Significant Changes in the Past Decades Three Principal Domains ( 課本以英國為例 ) –Home and Family –Education and Employment (Work Place) –Leisure Time (Free Time) Understanding of these changes helps –Reorganize the diverse and provisional nature of childhood –Interpret children ’ s relations with electronic media

幾則負面新聞標題 … 墮胎潮持續惡化平均年齡下降了三歲 兒子像蠟筆小新 媽媽嚇壞了 孩子 … 成了名牌 父母有英語焦慮 幼稚園學童 8 成學英語 偶像不壞 e 世代不愛 孩子煩惱多 都市兒童肥胖比例超過四成 " 阿祖的兒子 " 揭露隔代教養隱憂

Home and Family - comparing with situations in Taiwan Decline in traditional nuclear family Single-parent family (mostly mother) Number of youth live with different parents till 16-yr decreases (vs. childhood with married natural parents) Birth out-of-wedlock birth & Divorce increases Low fertility rate, Fewer children & Less siblings, or Childless marriage Professional mom & Working mothers

Home and Family - continued Expectation of father in child-care (egalitarian 平權 ) Homeless family with dependents Less time with parent, more in institutions Polarization between rich & poor (Class difference) Doubled overall house-hold income vs. Increased number of family under average Higher children ’ s place in family; Devoted house- hold income to children Children ’ s market potential

Home and Family - continued Children “ economic ” value vs. “ emotional ” value “ Quality Time ” phenomenon: Less time with children, greater value on the time Parent involvement in education Behavior approaches vs. Developmental psychological view (Regulation vs. Guidance) Parent-child relationship (Friendly vs. Authoritarian) Child abuse issue in social policy –Risk-free family vs. Committed offenses by parents

Education and Employment Compulsory education (Segregation from parent?) Education starting earlier, ending later Government ’ s commitment Erosion of standards –Centralized control of education (in the past) –Parental choice of “ best school ” (in the past) –Schooling as marketization subject (now)

Education & Employment -continued Competition: schools & students –Extra parent coaching at home –Supplementary materials & classes –Emphasis & impact on achievement –Determining influence of social class Post-compulsory edu. & unemployment Education vs. training Graduates ’ reliance on parental support Involved in paid work (both under- & developed countries): Teens pursuing luxuries?

Free Time (Leisure) Increasing privatized, but more supervision? Moving from public spaces to private spaces Parental anxiety (strangers, traffic, treats) Living room furnished with technology More likely to have own bed room More confined, less independently mobile High perception of risk, less going-out (autonomy)

Free Time Traditional outdoor / playground games appropriated by children Earlier teenage rebellion Maturing sooner & earlier sexual experience; earlier STD threat; Drug, alcohol, crime (mostly minority) Truancy & drop-out

Blurring Boundaries? Between adults and children More access to adult life vs. Increasingly segregated Changing relations of power and authority between adults and children “ Individualization ” process to be a citizen, and more voice heard vs. “ Indiscipline ” and moral collapse, so more authoritarian social polices

Unequal Childhood Social differences appear eroding, clearly in gender Ethnic diversity increases Polarization between poor and rich –Quality of life –Health –Education –Racism and family breakdown