I looked at the pages from 77-79 within this book.
The pages look at the positive and negative aspects of computers and the internet for children in terms of education as well as entertainment. It states that the internet has postivie aspects as it allows ‘escapism’ for children and allows them to create their own culture and communities. It includes scholar’s quotes saying that children can now finally escape the social boundaries of adults through the internet! It also looks at the negative aspects, i.e. school massacres in America which people believed where influenced by violent computer games.
It states towards the end of the pages I looked at that, the computer has become seen as a sort of ‘bad’ thing, just like TV has been! (I.e. created many a moral panics!) and that because it has become seen as a bad thing which people blame for things, i.e. American school shootings, it means that children can be restricted and blocked by people who fear the worst.
The pages I looked at give a brief, but accurate view on the positive/negative aspects of computers and the internet. It demonstrates just what is available for children which was not for older generations.
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2 comments:
I liked what you said about the negative views of the computer. Its funny because I remember when I was younger there used to be this huge debate in my school about how dangerous video games actually are. And whether or not the massacres in America could be blamed for them. I think that in this case in particular people are looking for someone else to blame, just like they blame MTV for promiscuous children etc.
I dont know if you agree with me or not, but it seems that there are always people who are against and will find negative points on any type of new media. Of course there are dangers and things we should be careful about. But you cannot blame mass homicide on a game or a video on TV, I think it should be more about checking the firearms rights.
Sophia I agree, I read somewhere else about how people like to use the media as justification for X behaviour, when really it is not the reason that the person behaved like that.
However, with all the theory that is out there which demonstrates that violence etc can make children more violent, it is questionnable just how much of an effect computer games etc can have on childrens behaviour.
The internet alone leaves a lot for children to find, so I can understand why panic occurs. It was the only day my little cousin came in and said she had been looking at 'real' ghosts on the internet! This panicked me, so I can understand why parents do get panicked and blame the media, because I did think to myself with my little cousin - well that stuff shouldnt be available online!
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