The media literacy of children: a review of research literature

Ofcom's* definition of media literacy: 'the ability to access, understand and create communications in a variety of contexts'. In terms of access, the literature suggests that most children, even at quite a young age, already possess the competencies needed to gain access to media content: they are quite skilled at using the available technologies and are also able to use the associated software. As they become older, they become more aware of regulatory mechanisms, and take these into account in seeking to make their own decisions. The large majority of children show some awareness of risks relating to giving personal information, such as contact details, on the internet, although they are less aware of financial dangers such as those relating to credit card use or communication of banking details. In terms of understanding, most of the research literature relates to the development of children's understanding of television, rather than of other media such as the internet. This literature suggests that children's awareness of areas such as the difference between representation and reality, and the persuasive role of advertising, develops both as a function of their increasing knowledge of the world, and as a result of…