Child, Family, School,
and Community
Socialization and Support
th
6
ed.
Chapter 9
ECOLOGY OF THE MASS MEDIA
UNDERSTANDING MASS MEDIA
“Media” refers to a type of communication.
Mass media are shapers and spreaders of
culture.
MACROSYSTEM INFLUENCES
ON MASS MEDIA
• Mass communication the U.S.
characterized by private ownership and
corporate profits.
• Broadcast media in the U.S. are designed
to attract audiences to whom to sell
products, SO they convey messages that
are likely to influence attitudes and
behavior.
PICTORIAL MEDIA:
TELEVISION AND MOVIES
CONCERNS ABOUT TELEVISION AND MOVIES
Effects other activities and relationships
– Family rituals and interactions
– Physical activity
Effects the ability to distinguish between
reality and fantasy
PICTORIAL MEDIA:
TELEVISION AND MOVIES
CONCERNS ABOUT TELEVISION AND MOVIES
(Cont’d)
Effects imagination
Effects the prevalence of violence
• Observational learning
• Attitude change
• Arousal
PICTORIAL MEDIA:
TELEVISION AND MOVIES
CONCERNS ABOUT TELEVISION AND MOVIES
(Cont’d)
Effects of advertising
children age 2 – 11 are exposed to between
20,000 and 40,000 television commercials
annually.
PICTORIAL MEDIA:
TELEVISION AND MOVIES
PERPETUATION OF VALUES
TV has presented children a set of
“anti-values” (Dr. Isidore Ziferstein):
• Anti-interpersonal relations values
• Anti-cooperation values
• Anti-democratic values
PICTORIAL MEDIA:
TELEVISION AND MOVIES
PERPETUATION OF VALUES
(Cont’d)
Sexuality
Young people are exposed to a constant flow of
sexual images.
Stereotypes
oversimplified representations of members of a
group
PICTORIAL MEDIA:
TELEVISION AND MOVIES
PERPETUATION OF VALUES
(Cont’d)
Effects on children’s reading and
communication skills
time spent in front of the TV has been
responsible for the general decline in reading
levels and test scores on standardized tests.
PICTORIAL MEDIA:
TELEVISION AND MOVIES
PERPETUATION OF VALUES
(Cont’d)
Effects on academic achievement
the content of television shows a
significant impact on academic
achievement (based on longitudinal study).
PICTORIAL MEDIA:
TELEVISION AND MOVIES
MEDIATING INFLUENCES ON SOCIALIZATION OUTCOMES
Selective attention
is crucial to learning because children’s
perceptions and concepts of the world depend
on which aspects get their attention.
PICTORIAL MEDIA:
TELEVISION AND MOVIES
MEDIATING INFLUENCES ON SOCIALIZATION OUTCOMES
Parents can mediate television viewing by:
• Controlling the number of hours of TV exposure.
• Checking ratings and evaluating programs.
• Viewing television with their children and
discussing the programs.
• Arranging family activities other than television
viewing.
PICTORIAL MEDIA:
TELEVISION AND MOVIES
MESOSYSTEM INFLUENCES
Community-media linkages
– The Public Broadcasting System (PBS)
– Cable and Satellite Television
– Videocassette Recorders and DVD Players
– Public Interest Groups
School-media linkages
Family-media linkages
PRINT MEDIA: BOOKS AND
MAGAZINES
Television
And
Radio
Print Media
passive
involvement
active
participation
PRINT MEDIA: BOOKS AND
MAGAZINES
Books influence:
 Language and Reading Development
 Cognitive Development
 Psychosocial Development
PRINT MEDIA: BOOKS AND
MAGAZINES
(Cont’d)
Reading books and magazines:
• enables socialization because it is written
language
• increases a child’s language and reading
skills
PRINT MEDIA: BOOKS AND
MAGAZINES
(Cont’d)
Books also:
• provide information and concepts, and vicarious
experiences that stimulate the imagination
• provide models for children, help children cope
with and master problems, offer the opportunity to
explore and understand their own feelings and
the feelings of others, and to understand the
realities of life.
PRINT MEDIA: BOOKS AND
MAGAZINES
CONCERNS ABOUT BOOKS AND MAGAZINES
• Fantasy and reality: lack of strong adult role
models and present an unrealistic view of life.
• Violence: some stories can provide a
mechanism for the release of strong feelings
experienced by children.
• Stereotyping: traditionally perpetuates gender,
minority groups, age groups, and individuals
with disabilities stereotypes.
PRINT MEDIA: BOOKS AND
MAGAZINES
BOOKS, SOCIALIZATION, AND
DEVELOPMENT LEVELS OF CHILDREN
Developmental level of a child influences the
socialization effect of books on that child.
Pre-operational stage (about age 2 to 7):
Children like folktales and stories that
denote growth and the sequence of time.
PRINT MEDIA: BOOKS AND
MAGAZINES
BOOKS, SOCIALIZATION, AND
DEVELOPMENT LEVELS OF CHILDREN
Developmental level of a child influences the
socialization effect of books on that child.
Concrete operational stage (age 7 to 11-15)
Children’s enjoy a wide variety of books,
including informational and biographical.
PRINT MEDIA: BOOKS AND
MAGAZINES
BOOKS, SOCIALIZATION, AND
DEVELOPMENT LEVELS OF CHILDREN
Developmental level of a child influences the
socialization effect of books on that child.
Formal operational stage (age 11 or 15):
– children can hold several plots or subplots in their
minds simultaneously and see interrelations
among them
– children can analyze and evaluate what they read
in terms of different viewpoints
SOUND MEDIA:
POPULAR MUSIC
What sets today’s popular music apart from
television and books?
•
it is an expression of the youth culture
•
it alienates many adults
•
it illustrates current social values
BUT do songs reflect the values of a particular
generation OR whether they influence that
generation’s values?
INTERACTIVE MEDIA AND
MULTIMEDIA
Effects of computers, the Internet, and video
games on children’s socialization process is
unclear
Current concerns include:
• diminished social interaction
• computer games
• access to information without necessary critical
skills
• access to information negating family values