Teenagers - Media 2

The media, and television in particular, are one of the three links in the chain of social transmission, whose interaction is essential to the socialization of children and adolescents. Television [being] ＂the culture of the poor, the culture of those who have none＂ (Chambat and Ehrenberg, 1987), we are in a position to assert that the ideals, ideal-types and values conveyed through the television genres consumed contribute, to a large extent, to shaping adolescents’ representations-perceptions of reality, a reality that is, after all, ＂represented＂...How can we teach children to be more critical of their own television viewing habits and consumption, and to better decode the messages, both intentional and unintentional, conveyed through a variety of television genres? How can we equip them to differentiate between fiction and reality?