Childhood in the Age of Global Media

Abstract

This paper provides a critical overview of debates about the role of media in globalisation, with specific reference to the position of children. The paper begins with a broad-ranging discussion of relevant literature in the field. It argues that, while the economic ‘logic’ of globalisation may lead to a homogenisation of cultural products, it has also led to the emergence of a ‘modernist’ discourse about childhood that has paradoxical consequences in terms of children's rights. The paper then moves on to a discussion of three case studies, drawing partly on the author's empirical research: Disney, which is often cited as a defining instance of ‘cultural imperialism’; Pokemon, which serves as an illustration of the ‘multi-media intertextuality’ of contemporary children's media; and the contrasting examples of ‘public service’ productions such as Teletubbies and Sesame Street. In each case, the paper suggests that the reception and use of such cultural products cannot simply be ‘read off’ from an analysis of their production context, or their textual characteristics; and that, in practice, the production, circulation and consumption of children's media entails a complex relationship between global and local imperatives. The media may be producing a global ‘children's culture’ that transcends national differences, but this may not necessarily be disadvantageous for children themselves.