Matthew L.

Chilton

AP English Literature and Composition

Angela Wilson

May 11, 2018

Impact and Importance of Children’s Media

Thesis: Exposure to media directly targeted at children allows those children to develop in

ways that are crucial to their future lives, specifically in terms of their academics, social skills,

and creativity.

I. Introduction

II. Types of children’s media

III. How children’s media impacts academic development

IV. How children’s media impacts social development

V. How children’s media impacts creative development

VI. Conclusion
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Impact and Influence of Children’s Media

In this day and age, it is difficult for one to go about their daily life without being

exposed to media in some form or another. In the United States, people are constantly being

bombarded with various kinds of information that is fed to them through the media. This does

not just occur to tech-savvy and up-to-date adults, however - this information overload also

occurs to the youth of the nation. In fact, children are the main demographic for many kinds of

media. There are many differing opinions on how this kind of media exposure affects children.

Many seem to believe that it negatively impacts and influences children, minimizing the

importance of the traditional means of upbringing; others believe that said exposure is ultimately

beneficial to children as students, citizens, and future workers. Regardless, the simple fact is that

exposure to media directly targeted at children allows those children to develop in ways that are

crucial to their future lives, specifically in terms of their academics, social skills, and creativity.

First and foremost, it is important to understand what is considered to be children’s

media. Media, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is “the system and organizations of

communication through which information is spread to a large number of people”

(Merriam-Webster). The word “media” can include a very wide range of systems, but children’s

media is much more limited and specialized. Children’s media is exclusively media that is

appropriate for, or predominantly aimed at, children. When people think of children’s media, one

of the first types that come to mind is literature, as it is arguably the most prominent in society.

Children’s literature includes things like books, whether they be picture books, story books,

comic books, et cetera, that are written at a level that children can, at the very least, understand

and identify with, no matter the physical form they take. They have been extremely popular for
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years, and will likely continue to be. The timeless nature of books lends itself well to being

aimed at children, as they can convey information, values, and child-friendly stories that are

equally as timeless. Literature is a medium that is largely physical. In recent years, however, it

has become a medium that can also be consumed digitally, through the means of advancements

such as ebooks and articles on the Web. Other mediums that have also become more and more

digital lately are those of film and television. Film has been a popular medium, in one form or

another, for centuries, and television has been a staple of American life for the better part of the

last century. With both film and television being so popular, it is inevitable that different types of

each would be made to appeal to and/or enrich children specifically. Similarly to children’s

literature, children’s film and television usually aim to entertain, and in many cases, educate their

adolescent audience. Other mediums worth noting that are relatively new to the world and is

entirely digital, are those of video games and the Internet. Video games are like film and

television in the sense that, again, they usually aim to entertain and sometimes educate their

audience, but are unique in that they are interactive, which allows for children to further immerse

themselves in and experience what the medium has to offer. The Internet can be a means of

digital consumption of all forms of media mentioned above, as well as being a place for

specialized games, videos, and educational tools that utilize the unique features of the Web and

the devices used to browse it.

There have been countless studies that have documented the effects of children’s media

on another key element of adolescent development: that element being in the realm of

academics. Books have long been heavily promoted as a consistently effective means of positive

adolescent academic development, and the benefits speak for themselves. In an article from
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Luther College’s ​Oneota Reading Journal​, author Martha Crippen notes how children read

books and develop their own opinions about what they have read, which allows for deeper

cognitive thought and stimulation due to said books and their contents. She also states how

classic children’s books, such as those by Dr. Seuss, better develop children’s language skills in

their early years, and that books of historical significance can reinforce historical education. In

addition, Crippen recognizes the value of even wordless picture books, and their ability to

encourage stimulating discussion and language skills, both of which are very useful and enduring

abilities, both in and out of the classroom (Crippen). Children’s books not only present engaging,

child-friendly stories, but many also incorporate lessons about essential subjects such as

mathematics and history that can be used to accelerate a child’s education about such subjects.

Television is also a popular means of education today, although the lengths of its

effectiveness can vary. The Canadian Paediatric Society has noted the benefits of educational

children’s programming on television, specifically citing the effects of programs such as ​Sesame

Street​. In an article published in the journal ​Pediatrics and Child Health​, the Society claimed

that ​Sesame Street​ taught children the alphabet and entry-level mathematics. They also noted

how educational programs often encourage families to visit places like bookstores, zoos,

museums, and libraries, all of which are means of educating, stimulating, and engaging children.

The Society does not suggest that these programs be used as a substitute for traditional

education, but instead as a supplement, especially in some disadvantaged settings (Canadian

Paediatric Society). In addition, Angeline S. Lilliard and Jennifer Peterson conducted research

for ​The​ ​Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics​ which supports the Society’s

claims of the benefits of educational, child-focused programming. In their study, several

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four-year-olds were assigned at random to spend nine minutes either watching fast-paced

children’s cartoons, watching educational cartoons, or drawing. The study found that the children

who had watched the educational cartoons or drawn during the nine-minute period performed

significantly better in tests of executive functions, which includes cognitive and self-regulatory

capabilities commonly used when learning, compared to those who had watched the fast-paced

cartoons during the nine-minute period (Lilliard and Peterson). Video games are also another

possible method of quality education, as revealed by Emily Hughes in an article for the

Developmental Psychology Department at Vanderbilt University. In her article, she states that

video games can stimulate children and encourage them to follow directions, as well as allow

them to learn and practice reading, pattern recognition, quick thinking, multitasking, and

quantitative calculations (Hughes). Finally, regarding the Internet and its academic potential, the

Canadian Paediatric Society also recognized the huge amount of educational information that is

readily available on the Web.

Television, video games, and the Internet can undoubtedly yield potential benefits for a

child’s academic performance and development in a number of ways. However, it is important to

understand that they can also potentially have adverse effects on academics. The Canadian

Paediatric Society, Lilliard, and Peterson all recognized the potentially harmful effects of

children’s television. In addition to the depreciative effect of fast-paced cartoons as observed in

Lilliard and Peterson’s study, the Society also notes that television takes essential time away

from schoolwork and reading, and that prolonged unsupervised television time can be

detrimental to a child’s academic performance - most notably to reading. The Society also

criticized the Internet for the lack of widely-accepted editorial standards for the information
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present on it. Ultimately, however, the most prominent risk involved with all three of these

media types is overexposure. Too much time devoted to any of these is time that could also be

spent learning through more traditional and effective means. Clearly children's media has both

benefits and drawbacks for academic development, but it is mainly up to the consumer to decide

the impact. However, media may also have various effects on other aspects of a child's

development.

Developing social skills is also a very important factor in a child's upbringing, and

unsurprisingly, media can have an effect on this development. Unsurprisingly, media can also

affect how this development occurs, as well as the direction it, and consequently the child, takes.

Many have noted the immense potential that literature has for defining and developing a child’s

social skills in a positive way. Peggy Albers, a professor of language and literacy education at

Georgia State University, is one of these people. Many children’s books aim primarily to tell a

story directed at children, and in an article written for ​The Conversation​, Albers states that

stories have been, and will continue to be an indispensable method of communication. She

remarks in her article that stories “help children develop empathy and cultivate imaginative and

divergent thinking” (Albers), and that children’s stories promote values that allows children to

develop stances on race and gender roles from early ages. Albers also remarks how people like

Hilary Janks have documented how children who read literature about refugees and human rights

are encouraged to bring about positive change in their communities as a result, and that stories

ultimately allow children to experience new perspectives on the world (Albers). The

aforementioned Martha Crippen also had some things to say on the social effect of children’s

books in her article for the ​Oneota Reading Journal​. She states that children’s books allow
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children to better understand both their own heritage and others’, teaching them to be more

tolerant and accepting of other backgrounds. She also recognizes that in reading books where

characters face moral crises and crossroads, children observe the characters’ choices and why

they are or are not morally sound, which allows them to develop their own morals based on what

they have read. Crippen cites developmental psychologist Jean Piaget, reiterating Piaget’s

statement that as children move from the preoperational stage of cognitive thought to the

operational stage, they become less and less egocentric. This can be accelerated by books that

promote understanding between different people, which allows them to be more considerate and

friendly. The final statement that Crippen makes concerning effects of books on a child’s social

skills in her article is this, and it is a testament to the constructive potential of children’s books:

“Exposing children to quality literature can contribute to the creation of responsible, successful,

and caring individuals” (Crippen). Dawn Fuller from the University of Cincinnati, in an article

for ​ScienceDaily​, wrote about a study involving bibliotherapy. Bibliotherapy is a form of therapy

in which children are exposed to books which contain characters who struggle in similar ways to

the children who are reading the book or whose contents could spark meaningful discussions or

activities, and it is mainly used to help children handle social struggles due to disabilities such as

autism and Down Syndrome. Fuller writes how “previous research found that bibliotherapy can

improve communication, attitude and reduce aggression for children with social disabilities”

(Fuller), and noted how using books helped parents intervene to help children deal with their

social struggles (Fuller). As Crippen, Albers, and Fuller have indicated, when children’s books

are used correctly, they can be very beneficial to the development of their adolescent audience’s

social skills.
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Unsurprisingly, books are not the only form of children’s media that can potentially

improve a child’s social skills. As noted by the Canadian Paediatric Society, educational

television programs like ​Sesame Street​ also promote kindness, racial harmony, and cooperation

to developing children. Emily Hughes, author of the aforementioned article, “Effect of Video

Games on Child Development”, also recognized the potential benefit that video games can have

on a child’s social life. She states that video games can teach children problem-solving skills,

how to judge situations, and is a possible avenue for social activity and interaction; the same can

be be said about Internet interaction as well. All of these types of media are not without their

potential drawbacks, however. The types of books that parents decide to read to and allow to be

read by their children should be monitored, as some books and stories can push potentially

harmful stereotypes about certain people and groups. The types of video games and Internet

content that children are exposed to should be closely monitored as well. Even some games and

videos meant for children can contain varying amounts and depictions of violence, and some

studies show that this could be a factor in violent or aggressive behavior later in life (Harvard

Health Blog). A child’s social development can be a fragile thing, and the smallest of factors can

cause major changes later in life in terms of how children socialize and react to stimuli. As a

result, it is important for this to be considered when parents expose their children to different

kinds of media.

Another factor of a child’s development that can be affected by various forms of

children’s media is in the realm of creativity. Although some may argue that intellectual and

social development are more crucial, creativity is nonetheless an important part of a child's

development as well. Peggy Albers, in her previously mentioned article, “Why stories matter for
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children’s learning”, states that children’s books expand children’s imaginations through

exposure to arts, designs, and fantasies beyond what they experience in their daily lives. Not only

do children’s books allow for children to experience those things, but the nature of the medium

also allows for parents or teachers who may be reading the books to be able to engage in

discussion with the children about those things, which both increases the child’s understanding

and could also potentially push the child to experiment with the arts and fantasies that they have

been exposed to. Technology, on the other hand, has less room to be beneficial. While television,

video games, and the Internet could potentially offer the same kind of opportunities as reading

books by exposing children to new ideas and possibilities to experiment with, in this day and age

that is usually not the end result. April Trotter of Pennsylvania State University briefly discussed

the impact of technology on children’s creativity with Dan Hade, a Penn State professor of

language and literature, as part of an article entitled “Story power! The impact of children's

literature”. Trotter commented on Hade’s opinion on the subject: “Easy access to technology and

a heavy dependence on graphics, [Hade] added, are creating ‘children who find it more difficult

to visualize.’ Warned Hade, kids today are losing imagination—the ‘ability to visualize what

isn't’—because of their dependency on technology” (Trotter). This is further supported by Nancy

Carlsson-Paige, author of ​Taking Back Childhood​, a book about the growing influence of

technology in children’s lives today. Through an article entitled “Beware the quick tech fix

when....” by Valerie Strauss for the Washington Post, Carlsson-Paige detailed the importance of

physical play compared to digital play. She stresses the fact that for years it has been confirmed

by research that children require hands-on development to develop in several ways, creativity

included. Interactions with screens takes this development away, and with it, creativity.
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Hands-on play allows for children to work, both together and individually, to create and solve

their own problems in their own way. The limitations of various apps and games that children are

engaging with today do not allow for those things to happen, at least, not to the same extent

(Strauss). Children have a unique brand of creativity, and sometimes this creativity can greatly

influence a child’s interests and hobbies later in life, so it is key that this creativity be allowed to

run its course so a child can reap the benefits as they grow.

Children’s media, in all its various shapes and forms, is a widely experimental subject.

Because of its vast and wide-ranging nature, it can be difficult to determine whether or not a

certain type of media will be beneficial or detrimental to the children and their development.

There is not simply a wrong or right way to expose children to media - and that is not a bad

thing. Children are people, after all; they are unique individuals who learn from and respond to

their surroundings in equally unique ways. One thing is clear, however: it is imperative that

parents, guardians, teachers, and anyone else who influences the next generation be wise in their

decisions of what kinds of media to expose their children to and how to do it. Children are the

future, and it is vital that this is understood, as the way those parents, guardians, and teachers

shape their children will be the basis for how those children will shape the world of tomorrow.
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Works Cited

Trotter, April. “Story Power! The Impact of Children's Literature.” Penn State University, The

Pennsylvania State University, 9 Apr. 2007,

news.psu.edu/story/141114/2007/04/09/research/story-power-impact-childrens-literature​.

Accessed 27 Feb. 2018.

Lillard, A. S., and J. Peterson. “The Immediate Impact of Different Types of Television on

Young Children's Executive Function.” Pediatrics, vol. 128, no. 4, 12 Sept. 2011, pp.

644–649., doi:10.1542/peds.2010-1919.

Albers, Peggy. “Why Stories Matter for Children's Learning.” ​The Conversation​, The

Conversation US, Inc., 6 Jan. 2016,

theconversation.com/why-stories-matter-for-childrens-learning-52135​. Accessed 27 Feb.

2018.

Crippen, Martha. “The Value of Children’s Literature.” Oneota Reading Journal, 2012,

www.luther.edu/oneota-reading-journal/archive/2012/the-value-of-childrens-literature/​.

Accessed 27 Feb. 2018.

Fuller, Dawn. “How Books Can Have a Positive Impact on a Child's Social Struggles.”

ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, 12 Aug. 2013,

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/08/130812121457.htm​. Accessed 28 Feb. 2018.

"Media." Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web,

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/media.​ Accessed 17 Apr. 2018.

Hughes, Emily. “Effect of Video Games on Child Development.” Developmental Psychology at

Vanderbilt, Vanderbilt University, 24 Apr. 2014,

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my.vanderbilt.edu/developmentalpsychologyblog/2014/04/effect-of-video-games-on-chil

d-development/.​ Accessed 6 May 2018.

Canadian Paediatric Society. “Impact of Media Use on Children and Youth.” Pediatrics & Child

Health, vol. 8, May 2003, pp. 301–306., ​www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/journals/530/.

Accessed 6 May 2018.

Strauss, Valerie. “Beware the Quick Tech Fix When....” The Washington Post, WP Company, 13

Sept. 2012,

www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/is-technology-sapping-childrens-creat

ivity/2012/09/12/10c63c7e-fced-11e1-a31e-804fccb658f9_blog.html?utm_term=.937e3b

aa2a92.​ Accessed 9 May 2018.

Harvard Health Publishing. “Violent Video Games and Young People - Harvard Health.”

Harvard Health Blog, Oct. 2010,

www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/violent-video-games-and-young-people.