Media has an effect on the ability of children to be educated. Until recently it was not required in order for a child to be educated. With technology growth comes education growth. Today’s children have far more to learn technology-wise than generations before them.
Remember the old-school Macintoshes? You know, the ones that had the turtle and you had to press certain combination of keys to get it to move in different directions on the screen. Well, I do. My first computer class was in second grade. It’s amazing to realize how far we’ve come both computer and television-wise.
I remember watching “Sesame Street” and “Reading Rainbow” as a child, but I was unaware of its impact on me until I saw the video in class. Broadcast media in particular is powerful because it’s highly accessible and life-like.
Television shows that are geared toward the education of young children are booming in popularity. “Dora the Explorer” has become a huge hit in the United States. Not only does the program teach young children but it interactively encourages the learning of Spanish.
Researchers have concluded that small children can begin learning at the infant level. “Baby Einstein” videos have become very trendy. I’ve watched my nieces and nephews watch these programs and I can say that the children are truly intrigued by the “Baby Einstein” concepts. However, they can be seen as a privilege only afforded to the middle to upper classes. And therefore, unfair.
Obviously television and video media positively effect young minds. On the downside, media can just as easily have a negative effect. Anything with a violent nature is capable of seeping into a child’s education.
Children’s literature is a growing art. J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” series has given children a reason to read again. Potter Heads – as they call them – are picking up pens across the world and using their imaginations to create fan fiction stories in order to keep the Potter series alive. Children (and parents) can’t get enough of the boy-wizard and his adventures at Hogwarts. What kid wouldn’t want to imagine himself as a wizard with powers and a pet owl?
The most exciting books I read as a child were the “Boxcar Children” and to be honest I found them rather boring. Next came the “Goosebumps” series – which I can’t say I was very fond of either considering I was scared to death of the dark. Point of the story is, I wish I had stories about wizard to read as a child, perhaps I would have read more.
Music cannot be excluded in this topic because it has become such a presence in everyday lives with the evolution of iPods. Music lyrics are just as easily effective as words on a piece or paper or on a television.
Media in general continues to grow and impact not only children but people around the world. Media effects how everyone sees the world because it is a source of information. People choose to absorb the information by using the individual media.  ¶ posted by Neely at 12:44 AM •