Young Children, Videos and Computer Games

This book is a study of 4-9 year olds and their experiences with computers, computer games and videos, both at home and at school. It is based on two years' research, funded jointly by the British Film Institute and the British Library, during which the children were shadowed, observed and interviewed along with peers, siblings, parents and teachers. Many important insights were gained into how parents and teachers view technological change; what they know about their children's use of the technology; and what, in fact, children actually do in their bedrooms, with their friends or alone. Significant issues were raised relating to entertainment technology, parenting and teaching; particularly in relation to gender, popular culture, the possible value of computer games and videos, and the lack of mediation of children's experiences. The authors conclude that there is an overall feeling that children are being left to drift in a leisure world of growing technological sophistication, where realism is increasing and the boundaries between fact and fiction, diminishing. To become critical consumers capable of managing this aspect of their lives, the authors contend that wholesale changes are needed to the way education is viewed and delivered. This book deals with important issues at the forefront of social and educational politics: issues that are at the heart of current moral debates over censorship and the young. It is written in a jargon-free non-academic style and will make a fascinating read for educators and parents alike.