Abstract
In recent studies on children and electronic media, children are acknowledged as active users, interpreting TV-texts in various meaningful ways, according to their previously constructed knowledge of narratives and relating the texts to their everyday lives. Still, there is a tendency that toddlers' (ages 1 to 3) viewing is neglected, and seen as mere fascinations of patterns, bright colours and movements without focusing on the social uses or uses in which television narratives come to play an important part in small children's experimenting with building identity and self-image. This article focuses on the meaning-making processes that take place when toddlers watch television and DVD, and the way in which they broaden the reception-situation to different arenas, for instance through play and different uses of merchandise connected to the television programs. Also, it studies the context of children's media use, the way both parents, media and market set up the frames of children's reception.
Highlights
When asked his name a two and a half year old boy replied: «My name is Laurits Bob the Builder.» Just like that, as if it was a well-established fact, not up for further discussion
What I am interested in, is the meaning-making processes that take place when children watch television and video, and the way in which they broaden the reception-situation to different arenas, for instance through play and different uses of merchandise connected to the television programs, as well as the social and cultural context of the child’s media use
Some had decorated the child’s bedroom with Disney characters; others had only a few dolls or figures related to shows from the public service Danish Broadcasting Cooperation (DR)
Summary
When asked his name a two and a half year old boy replied: «My name is Laurits Bob the Builder.» Just like that, as if it was a well-established fact, not up for further discussion. As if it was a well-established fact, not up for further discussion This boy loved the characters from the British television concept so much that he even slept with figures picturing the machines from the show at night. In doing that, he showed how much this simple story of a construction worker and his range of anthropomorphized machines can matter for a little boy. He showed how much this simple story of a construction worker and his range of anthropomorphized machines can matter for a little boy This was not a question of mere fascination of bright colours, movements and music – this was a meaningful part of his everyday life and of his way of dealing with it.
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