ABSTRACT
Moving beyond attention, this chapter considers children’s growing abilities to understand the things they see on screens. This comprehension includes being able to recognise and interpret signs and meanings conveyed by specific screen format features, being able to follow and retain story narratives, making reality judgements about characters and on-screen portrayals, and distinguishing between genres. These topics have evolved with the advance of screen technologies and the introduction of greater interactivity between screen users and screen events. New skillsets have emerged in relation to the use of new interactive technologies and screen formats. Understanding what they see on screen controls children’s attention to TV outputs and ability to follow story narratives. Examining these attentional patterns can reveal the depth of a child’s understanding of what they are watching and also provide clues as to what it is on screen that is likely to affect a child’s psychological responses to the things they see and hear.
