More on Screen Play and Iconic Literacy

Our second entry on chapter 3 was written by Anel. She explains that Elkind has helped her understand more fully the impact that screen media has on children, and I think you'll appreciate her perspectives. Happy reading!

This chapter discusses how screen media in the forms of computer games, television, and video games affect and influence the personality and attitude of children. I really enjoyed this chapter because I was able to connect with the text, not only through personal experience, but through observations I have made with children.

Elkind begins the chapter with an observation he made in a theatre. His observation involved children’s reactions to the movie Jurrasic Park. Elkind gives insight from literary scholar Marshall McLuhan and his views that “… the electronic media are bringing about a fundamental change in out way of thinking” (p. 39). It is true, we hear and read that children should be limited to the amount of time they watch television and use the computer. I agree with McLuhan, the new media indeed affects our thinking and learning. Elkind elaborates on McLuhan’s insights on the medium of the media. "Hot media" involves less participation than "cool media." The example given in the text was that of a photograph and a sketch. The photograph would be considered a hot media, while the sketch is subtle and involves active participation, which makes it a cold media.

Elkind states, “We as individuals, and how we respond to screen content is at least partly determined by our personality traits, attitudes, and values” (p. 38). This statement, I would argue, connects very well with McLuhan’s theory of the hot and cold medium. We choose how we spend our time with the media and the type of programs we watch and play. Growing up, I remember being very physically active. I enjoyed using my imagination, playing games, and taking part in physical activities such as bowling and rollerblading. I do admit that I was a big TV fanatic, and guilty as charged, I still am.

Elkind explains and describes his experiment in testing several computer games; he gives the example of the Baby Einstein DVD’s. I am a nanny, and the Baby Einstein DVD’s are great to keep the eight-month-old twins tranquil and entertained. To my surprise, the boy was very entertained by the music and the figures shown on the screen; his sister, on the other hand, was like Elkind’s granddaughter. She was focused on her task and accomplishing a goal while the music played in the background. It was interesting to see both of their reactions to the media, and after reading this chapter I understand a little more. Although cognitively the infants were not capable of understanding the images, they can however, focus on objects and things beyond themselves, as described in Piaget's explanation of Secondary Circular Reactions of substage three in the Sensorimotor Stage.

One phrase struck me. It was a paraphrase of Shakespeare made by Elkind, and it reads, “ Some children are born to be active, some children become active, and some have activity thrust upon them. Some children have activity built into their genes” (p.61). This quote made me reflect on my own childhood. In terms of hot and cold media, I can say that growing up I was definitely drawn to hot media; as an adult, I can appreciate and take pleasure in both hot and cold. During my childhood I enjoyed watching many shows that included cartoons as varied as Sailor Moon and the Disney movie collection. As I approached middle-childhood, I began to watch shows on the Disney channel, Videos on VH1 and MTV, and of course Latino channel Mexican Soap Operas. Looking back I feel like these types of interactions did play a role in my attitude towards screen literacy. While my friends were reading books that their parents checked out for them in the public library, I was busy catching up on the latest Disney movie. I think that the environment in which the child grows up also influences the outcome in their preference for hot and cold media. Perhaps if I had been introduced and encouraged by my parents to read books, I might have been able to enjoy both hot and cold mediums as I do now. I must say, it took encouragement and motivation to become one person who enjoys reading and spending time observing objects and ideas that might be considered cold media.

Before taking child development courses, I read that too much television and too many video games affected children. I did not know how, but in this short chapter, Elkind has given me a better idea of what screen media is and how it is both positive and negative in children’s lives. I look forward to learning more and teaching others that there should be a balance in children’s lives. Personally, I do not think that children should be given computers and other advanced technological toys at a young age. I feel that children should be encouraged to explore and become active thinkers before being introduced to media. Media knowledge is important as adults living in the twenty-first century, but children catch on fast and so I think that giving them a late start on screen media will not be negative but possibly beneficial.