ABSTRACT
Popular magazines are wellsprings of information for people concerned about the topic of children and electronic media as well as a barometer of concern on the topic. Many studies indicate that media representations can influence both viewer perceptions of others as well as their self-perceptions. Studies that utilize cultivation analysis have shown consistent, though usually quite small, positive correlations between the amount of television viewed and perceptions that the real world is much like the one presented on television. A common caricature of the television-viewing child is the "zombie", sitting passively in front of a screen whose glowing images have induced a hypnotic-like trance. Children's decisions to pay attention to the television screen are influenced by program content. Marsha Kinder proposes that the nature of many children's programs makes them challenging, thus stimulating attention and creativity. Child-targeted ads show a world where "kids rule" and fun is the order of the day.
