ABSTRACT
Issues raised in scrutinizing the interaction between children and the mass media in the 1990s were so far-reaching, touching homes, schools, government, society and culture, both here and abroad, indeed, people's very future. This caused the decision of the editors of Children and the Media to spread a somewhat wider net than usual in soliciting the thoughts of people who influence both policy and practice in this crucial arena. Many of the concerns raised by people's final 23 sources were familiar ones – enduring problems of violence, commercialization, trivialization and the "abdication" of social and family responsibility to the "electronic babysitter". It is no secret that the print and broadcast media have a dramatic impact on children's ability to learn and their interest in learning. Yet, the media have a mixed record when it comes to using their power to promote the social, emotional and intellectual growth of children.
