ABSTRACT
This chapter offers a comparative framework for the study of two ends of the audience studies spectrum: the study of media and children and the study of media and older adults. There are two main rationales for comparing these two fields of studies, the first being theoretical. The second rationale is more practical and results from the fact that both children and older adults are the heaviest consumers of various types of media. Models of individuals' development across the life course have emerged in the last fifty years, arising out of various disciplines such as psychology, sociology, economics and marketing. Two of the most prevalent models are life-span developmental theory and life course theory. Both of these theories suggest that human development is a multidirectional and continuous process. Both children and older adults have been 'othered' by many societies, and as a result, their communication rights and needs have been neglected.
