What is it about?
The article analyzes, discusses, and outlines the debate on children and young people's media use. This debate, which dates back to the 19th century, has become especially intense in recent years regarding digital media. It is a debate where adults argue about how children and young people should use media. Conducted mainly in mass media, the debate is not informed by research but by prejudices and moral assumptions. As research is often seen as unexciting by the mass media, they turn to self-proclaimed experts who often make a living from giving lectures and publishing books on the harmful effects of media. This creates enough conflict for the issue to hold informational value for the media. As a result, the debate becomes moralistic, framing young people's media use as reprehensible and harmful. This, in turn, prevents a qualified discussion that could lead to sensible decisions and solutions. However, the article remains exploratory, focusing on analyzing and discussing the debate from Luhmann's sociological systems theory of communication.
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Why is it important?
The article is important because it sheds light on the current debate surrounding children's and young people's media use, which is often driven by moral assumptions and uninformed opinions rather than scientific research. By exposing how mass media amplifies the views of self-proclaimed experts, the article highlights the need for a more informed and balanced discussion. Using Luhmann's communication systems theory, the article offers a deeper understanding of why this debate remains stuck in moral judgments and why more qualified solutions are needed to address the real issues surrounding media use.
Perspectives
As a media researcher, I often experience frustration when policymakers and mass media ignore the insights provided by academic research in favor of moral panic and uninformed opinions. This leads to decisions that are often misguided and fail to address the real issues. It is crucial that people engage with this analysis of the debate, as it offers a clearer understanding of how the discussion is shaped by media dynamics and public discourse, rather than evidence-based research. By reading the analysis, there is a hope that individuals will start to view the debate differently, consider the scientific studies available on the topic, and make better-informed decisions that benefit young people and society as a whole.
Associate Professor Jesper Tække
Aarhus Universitet
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Systems-theoretical observations of moral media panic debates, Kybernetes, April 2021, Emerald,
DOI: 10.1108/k-11-2020-0724.
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