Children & The Media

It looks like all those blissful hours watching Camberwick Green may not have done me any good after all; according to a story in today's Telegraph, a new study has concluded that too much television exposure for toddlers can lead them to become aggressive and can also affect their attention span.

The subject of television's effects on children has been explored before; Television and Language Development in the Early Years is just one report which has looked at this topic. In recent years however, research has tended to focus on the wider range of media which children are now often exposed to in their daily lives. In 2002 the ITC published Striking A Balance: The Control of Children's Media Consumption, while more recently Ofcom was responsible for commissioning The Media Literacy of Children and Young People. On a different note, this Home Office report from 2001 looks at The Effects of Computer Games on Young Children.

But if, like me, you still have a sneaking affection for the TV of your youth, then perhaps this historical tour of children's television from the BFI will be of interest.