A discussion about emerging issues and new agendas regarding children and the media kicked off two days of meetings for the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media advisory council recently at Saint Vincent College.

The panel asserted, after 50 years of research on children and television, there is still much to be learned and applied to children’s media in order for it to be made accessible to families and teachers.

Moderating the panel was Everette E. Dennis, Ph.D., the Felix E. Larkin Distinguished Professor of Media and Entertainment at Fordham University. Contributing to the discussion were: Milton Chen, Ph.D., Executive Director of the George Lucas Educational Foundation and chair of the Fred Rogers Center advisory council; Jerlean Daniel, Ph.D., Deputy Executive Director of the National Association for the Education of Young Children; John P. Murray, Ph.D., Professor of Developmental Psychology, School of Family Studies and Human Services at Kansas State University; and Ellen A. Wartella, Ph.D., Executive Vice Chancellor, University of California, Riverside and Fred Rogers Center Senior Fellow.

Various topics of children’s learning and how the media affects children were discussed, but one of the overwhelming and agreed upon messages centered around the lack of knowledge to fully understand the educational benefits of the media. The panel suggested with every new medium there comes the same questions and controversy.

“We still need continued research, oddly enough, on the basic issues,” Dr. Murray said.

Dr. Murray, Dr. Wartella and Dr. Norma O. Pecora co-authored a book titled Children and Television: 50 Years of Research, in which they report the analysis of approximately 1,900 studies conducted about children and the media. Dr. Murray and Dr. Wartella reported the majority of those studies centered on violence, rather than the positive effects media may have on children.

“Each medium starts with violence,” Dr. Murray suggested. “At the same time there is always a little pocket of neat material.”

Dr. Chen added, “Not only does content matter, but context matters.” He pointed out the family situation, family values and the way media is being used also play a part in the media effects on children.

“How constructive they are,” Dr. Murray explained of children’s behaviors with lack of influence by media. “How active they are in creating their own environment.”

Dr. Daniel agreed saying, “Children learn by doing. We need to think about the whole notion of media literacy as an extension of literacy period.”

Dr. Wartella mentioned recent studies have shown educational programming is a top concern for parents of children aged 0 to 6. She cautioned, “Very few (producers of children’s media) have actually done the research (even if they claim they have).”

Dr. Daniel said children in group care sometimes suffer because their parents do not know exactly what their children are watching. “Television ends up being a babysitter in the room…who’s deciding what’s appropriate?” she questioned. “Technology is leaping over adults to children and that’s dangerous.”

The panel also agreed child development is a fairly “new” concept without much appreciation from peers.

“We desperately need a bridge between early childhood development and the media,” Dr. Chen offered, noting the Fred Rogers Center has the opportunity to form that bridge to build upon present research and trends in media and serve as the place experts turn for information and research.

Dr. Dennis concluded, “We still have much to understand and appreciate in the work that’s been going on.”

The annual Fred Rogers Center advisory council meeting concluded with a ceremonial groundbreaking event to mark the initiation of construction for the Fred Rogers Center on the campus of Saint Vincent College.

Return to News Releases