In the News
December 2003
BTN airs final episode
Long-running ABC children’s news program, Behind the News,
filmed its final episode in November, and aired early in December.
A simple message on the BTN
web site says:
“BYE BYE BTN! Thanks to all the teachers, parents and students.
Your comments and support are greatly appreciated.”
Former ABC Supervisor of Education in SA (from 1975 to 1985), Tony
Ryan has written a piece entitled "Behind the News - end of
a series and of an era" about this educational program. Read
the article here.
Less fruit & veg for young television viewers
Researchers from the Harvard
School of Public Health have found a relationship between the
amount of television children watch and the amount of fruits and
vegetables they eat. The more television children watch, the less
of the healthier foods they eat.
"A child who watched three hours of television per day (the
average among study participants), at the start of the study,
and increased his/her television viewing by one hour per day,
had approximately 2.25 fewer servings per week of fruits and vegetables
compared to children in the study who didn’t watch television."
The findings are published in the December issue of Pediatrics.
Further reading:
AMA joins CFAC on TV ads and child obesity
stand
During the Australian Health Ministers' Conference (28th November
2003), the Australian Medical Association (AMA) joined the Coalition
on Food Advertising to Children (CFAC), and added their voice to
the argument for bans on advertising unhealthy food to children
on television. The AMA has already been a very active campaigner
against the growing child obesity problem, and along with CFAC,
hope for Federal and State Health Ministers to agree on a ban of
food advertising during children's peak viewing times.
The Chair of the AMA Child and Youth Health Committee, Dr Michael
Rice, said in a media release "our kids are our future and
we must help them get the healthiest possible start in life."
He added, "it is our responsibility to remove all temptations
that send kids down the road to bad health. Banning these ads would
be a great start."
Related organisations:
November 2003
Food ads put children's health at risk
A new report released by the Coalition on Food Advertising to
Children (CFAC), has lead to renewed pressure on the government
to ban food advertising during children's television viewing hours.
The report, "Children's health or corporate wealth?",
highlights the destructive role which food advertising - mostly
for sugary and fatty snacks - plays on children's nutrition and
health, including the rising childhood obesity rate in Australia.
Advertising to children is one of the issues being brought the
the attention of the Health Ministers' Conference at the end of
November. However there are concerns that commercial lobbying may
weaken the strength of the argument by the National Obesity Task
Force.
"There is a real risk that the government will buckle to pressure
from commercial advertisers", Kaye Mehta, Chairperson of CFAC
comments, "and this will be a major let down for parents who
are trying to teach their children to make healthy food choices."
The report highlights Australia being the highest OECD country
with the most television food advertisements per hour... higher
than the US or UK. The vast majority of food advertised is high
in sugar, fat, salt or has very little nutritional value.
A copy of the Briefing paper can be obtained by contacting Kaye
Mehta, Chairperson of CFAC.
News Coverage:
- Metherell, Mark. 'Obese
children fear won't make TV trim ads' Sydney Morning
Herald.
27 November 2003
For further information see:
Finalists announced, YMA exec honoured
Young Media Australia's Honorary CEO Barbara Biggins, has been
named South Australia's Senior Australian of the Year, in a ceremony
at Government House in Adelaide.
The Australian of the Year Awards are given for significant
contribution to national issues, by recognised achievers at the
national level.
See
the official Australian of the Year website.
Sexually abusive children linked to adult
material
A presentation based on research from the Canberra Hospital's
child-at-risk assessment unit, given at the 'Ninth
Australasian Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect',
has shown that in the last three years, 90 per cent of "sexually
abusive"
children under 10 years seen at the Hospital, had admitted
seeing explicit adult images from the Internet.
The variety of sexual and violent material accessible to children
on the Internet and other forms of media, combined with the ever-popular
myth that "this doesn't hurt anyone", has lead many parents
to the view that there is no real problem. The disregard by some
commercial interests to the likely impact of their products on the
young is appalling.
Research from leading health professionals showing the negative
effects of children accessing adult material, has existed long enough
for commercial bodies to take notice. However, industry support
on a whole has been rather lukewarm.
News coverage:
Further information:
Bouquets and Brickbats for World Television Day
Television can be one of the most powerful influences in shaping
children’s perceptions of the world, and had had a distinct
impact on Australian culture. World Television Day will be held
on 21 November.
Read YMA's media
release here.
Deadline nears for kids' television
An independent report, commissioned by the Australian Broadcasting
Authority (ABA), has recommended a limited trading scheme for
children’s programming quotas (both C & P programming)
between commercial television broadcasters.
The ABA has invited comments on the issues raised by the report
with all responses due by the 30th November. A discussion paper
is available on the ABA
website.
US violence researchers shun FTC forum
The US Federal
Trade Commission (FTC) cancelled its proposed panel session
on media violence research (a part of its October 29 workshop on
"Marketing violent entertainment to children, and industry
self regulation), after 2 top media violence researchers declined
to participate.
Professors Craig Anderson and Rowell Huesmann, both of whom have
extensive track records of original research (violent computer games,
and longitudinal studies of media violence effects), withdrew stating
that the composition and format of the panel would "prevent
any reasonably accurate exposition of the deleterious effects that
media violence has on children". Click
here for the full text of Anderson's and Huesmann's letter.
New UK youth report focuses on sexual content
on tv, viewing habits and media literacy
A new report released this month, ‘Young People, Media and
Personal Relationships’, is based on a research project by
Professor David Buckingham and Dr Sara Bragg from the Institute
of Education, University of London.
The study focused on how youths (aged 10-14) "interpret and
respond to the sexual content they encounter on mainstream television;
and how they use these representations in forming their own understandings
of sexual and interpersonal relationships."
"66% of young people say that the media are a useful or very
useful ‘way to find out about, love, sex and relationships’
in a study published today by the Advertising Standards Authority,
British Board of Film Classification, BBC, Broadcasting Standards
Commission and Independent Television Commission. This put the media
on par with mothers - 66% of young people say they learn about relationships
from their mothers."
This study has found that in the youths surveyed, that they display
a high amount of media literacy, awareness of television production
processes and don't necessarily trust everything they see on tv.
Boys and girls respond differently to the images they see on television.
Interestingly the report also finds that "parents prefer to
negotiate with children rather than decide on their behalf what
they should see."
'Media
and mothers are the most useful source of learning about
love, sex and relationships', Broadcasting Standards
Commission, 10 November 2003.
Craig Anderson presentation available for download
Papers from the OFLC's International Rating Conference, ‘Classification
in a Convergent World’ are now available from the OFLC
web site.
They include:
October 2003
Infants, Toddlers & Preschoolers immersed
in electronic media
A new report Zero to Six: Electronic Media in the Lives of Infants,
Toddlers and Preschoolers, was released by the Kaiser
Family Foundation (KFF), on 28th October 2003. It finds that
even the youngest of children in the US are spending just as much
time with television, computers and video games, as they do playing
outside.
This is the first publicly released US study looking at the media
use of children aged 6 months to six years, and states that children
aged six and under spend an average of two hours a day using electronic
media, around two hours playing outside and around 40 minutes reading
or being read to. Other findings include a third of all under six
year olds having a television; ten percent having video game players;
and seven percent having computers in their bedrooms.
" 'When children have TVs and other media in
their bedrooms, it's more difficult for parents to monitor what
they're doing,'noted study co-author Elizabeth Vandewater, Assistant
Professor at the University of Texas at Austin. 'The growing phenomenon
of media in the bedroom and its impact on child development is a
crucial area of future research.' "
The
actual report and releases may be found here.
ARIA Award for "Outstanding Achievement"
goes to Wiggles
Australian children's entertainment group, the
Wiggles, have been honoured with the "Outstanding Achievement
Award" at this year's 17th
Annual ARIA Awards, Tuesday 21st October.
The popular group were formed in 1991 and have fans all over the
world. The Wiggles have an impressive catalogue of children's music,
television programs, videos and films, but also tour extensively
throughout Australia, New Zealand, the UK and the USA.
New media education strategy helps make children's
lives safer & healthier
A new program has been developed by Dr Stephen Kline and associates
at the Simon Fraser University's Media Analysis Lab in Canada to
show kids how their media consumption can have ill effects on their
health and social lives.
The team developed a media education program which "...asked
students to reflect on the role that media played in their lives
and challenged them to explore what they would do if they didn't
rely on media to entertain them so much."
Researchers found an 80% reduction in media consumption in the
test week, with 64% of kids going "cold turkey", 29% using
a "controlled use" approach, while only 7% chose to "opt
out" of the challenge. The students were selected from four
different schools in North Vancouver, British Columbia, with a total
of 178 students ranging from grade 2 to grade 6.
The project concludes that communities are able to help make their
children’s lives safer and healthier by challenging them to
be entertained without television, the internet and video games.
For further information see North
Vancouver Media Risk Reduction Intervention, Simon Fraser University,
Media Analysis Lab
Food promotion to kids
A study, investigating the amount of food advertising during children’s
television viewing hours has been presented by the NSW Department
of Health. It has found that the ads are deliberately targetting
children during children’s TV programming.
In addition, a report released in September by the UK’s Food
Standards Agency, links the promotion of foods and children’s
eating behaviour. Researcher, Prof. Gerard Hastings concludes from
his report, Does Food Promotion Influence Children? A Systematic
Review of the Evidence, that “advertising to children does
have an effect on their preferences, purchase behaviour and consumption...”
Both reports find that children’s TV is dominated by food
promotion, and the majority of which is fast food, soft drinks,
snacks and confectionery.
Further information:
NSW
Department of Health
Food
Standards Agency (UK)
News coverage:
September 2003
YMA applauds Microsoft chat-room decision
Young Media Australia applauds the decision by Microsoft
Corporation to put the safety of children ahead of other interests
and close their free chat room services in several countries. Children
and teenagers will still be able to chat using MSN Messenger and
if they do so, there are controls in place to protect them. We urge
other providers to follow Microsoft's example.
Read Young Media
Australia's Media Release
Selection of guides for Internet Safety:
YMA information & links on cyber-safety issues:
News coverage:
- Garry Barker, Daniel Dasey and Juan-Carlo Tomas. 'Microsoft
praised and damned for closing chatrooms' Sydney
Morning Herald. 26 September 2003. YMA
Media Activity
- Rachel Lebihan. Alston
backs internet chat room purge. Australian Financial Review.
26 September 2003.
- Paula Beauchamp. Close
watch on net talk. Herald Sun. 26 September 2003.
- 'Alston
praises chat room scrutiny' ABC News Online.
25 September 2003.
- Follow
MSN chatroom lead: Alston. News.com.au. 25 September
2003.
- 'Microsoft
closes chatrooms over pedophile fears' Sydney
Morning Herald.
24 September 2003.
- Microsoft
axes chatrooms in Australia. NineMSN Sci-Tech News.
24 September 2003
Computer game violence does hurt children
The OFLC's
International Ratings Conference (21-24 September) has produced
some very interesting view points on a matter of topics, particularly
concerning Violence in Video Games.
Professor Craig Anderson’s keynote address, entitled “The
Effects of Playing Violent Video Games”, has included solid
research evidence that violence in computer and video games does
cause harm to children. Speaking before the conference, Professor
Anderson stated: “The research evidence is clear, concise and
consistent: there is no doubt that exposure to violent media increases
aggressive behaviour in the short term and throughout the life span.”
Read Young Media Australia's
Media Release
News coverage:
Further information:
Submissions due 19th September on CTVA Code
Any letters, submissions, or other documents regarding the Commercial
Television Australia (CTVA) review of the Code of Practice
for Australian commercial TV stations should reach CTVA
at 44 Avenue Road, Mosman 2088 by this Friday, 19th September.
After receipt of all submissions, the CTVA will decide whether
or not to change any of its proposed alterations to its Code, and
may then put the final draft version out for further comment, before
presentation of the Code to the Australian Broadcasting Authority
for authorisation. At that time the CTVA has to satisfy the ABA
that the public has had adequate opportunity for comment.
The most effective time for comment will be in this round.
Any concerns about the process or about the amount of publicity,
or opportunity/time allowed for comment, should also be sent to
CTVA, but with a copy to the ABA. PO Box Q500, Queen Victoria Building,
NSW 2000.
Read all of YMA's documents on the code review:
For further information:
Commercial
Television Australia (CTVA)
August 2003
Craig Anderson Seminar: violence & its
effect on children
Young Media Australia and the Victorian Parenting Centre are proud
to announce a seminar on 11 September 2003 with Professor Craig
Anderson on the topic of violence in the media and its effect on
children. Professor Anderson is Chair of the Psychology
Department at Iowa State University and an internationally recognised
expert in violence and the media.
The seminar - held in Melbourne, Australia - will also feature
a lively and interactive panel discussion facilitated by the well
known ABC broadcaster Mr Jon Faine. The panel will address practical
implications of research in this area for governments, schools and
families.
For more information and to download a registration form, visit
the Victorian
Parenting Centre website at www.vicparenting.com.au
or call the Centre on (03) 9639 4111.
News Coverage:
Child development and Visual Electronic Media
Written by Mary G. Burke, the article “The influence of television
and visual electronic media on brain development. (Expert Speaks
Out)” raises important and disturbing aspects of young children’s
relationships with TV and Visual Electronic Media (VEM) such as
television, videos, computers & video games.
The author’s observations are based on a case study of a 6
year old boy “... referred by his school for severe, apparently
impulsive aggression without remorse that threatens his school placement.
Prior testing had revealed attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
(ADHD) and possible sensory integration difficulties. He has limited
peer relations. He watches three to four hours of television daily,
including prior to school.”
In summary these observations are that “... the concerns about
VEM are that they overstimulate the visual system at the expense
of other sensory systems. They deprive the child of necessary social
interactions that foster self-regulation and contradict the child's
innate ability to recognize [sic] the significance of facial affect.
They arouse the child, but in a situation where he lacks the means
for appropriate containment of his arousal and they blunt his capacity
for generating symbols and imaginary problem-solving. They interfere
with the development of autonomy and they prevent his parents from
accurately understanding his need for nurturing vs. mastery, while
blurring the distinction between the two for [the child] himself.”
Burke, Mary G. (2003). "The influence of television and visual
electronic media on brain development. (Expert Speaks Out)".
In The Brown University Child and Adolescent Behavior Letter.
Vol. 19, No. 7, July 2003, p. 1-3.
CTVA Code Review Announced
Public comments on the proposed revised Commercial TV Australia
(CTVA, formerly FACTS) Code of Practice are due by 19th September
2003.
The CTVA Code of Practice is required to be reviewed every three
years, and the last such review was completed in 1999. Young Media
Australia recommends that its supporters get actively involved in
this review. From YMA's preliminary assessment there are some big
changes proposed. Some are likely to upset many parents.
YMA's advice is to check the CTVA
website for the Explanatory document and the proposed Code,
and start writing.
For further information:
Commercial
Television Australia (CTVA)
Wake up call: do we see our kids as commodities?
There have been concerns lately about the trend to ‘adultify’
children, through strong marketing by the advertising industry.
These issues have always caused frustration among parents and children's
professionals but have been brought back to light with a recent
photograph of an eight year old child model posing with ‘heroin
chic’ eye make up, sultry expression and bare shoulders.
Media Coverage:
- Dora Tsavdaridis & Brad Clifton. Sex
symbol aged eight. Herald Sun. (10th August 2003).
- Amanda Watt. Father
defends child's glamour shots. The Courier-Mail. (11th
August 2003)
- Clarissa Bye. 'Babes who become too sexy, too soon' The
Sydney Morning Herald. (21 September 2003). YMA
Media Activity
Axing of "Behind the News" disastrous
for children
News came on 5th August 2003, that the Australian
Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) has axed children's television
program Behind
the News (BTN). Started in 1969, BTN, an educational television
program was designed for upper primary and secondary students, and
sitting down to watch it has been a common event in schools around
Australia. An aim of BTN was to educate children in current world
events without causing distress and the axing has left no other
alternative but news programs designed for adults.
Media Coverage of the BTN Axing:
- Linda Mottram, ABC
cuts impact on children's programs. AM -
ABC Online
(5 August 2003)
- ' SA
Premier slams ABC cuts' ABC News Online (5
August 2003)
- 'ABC
cuts not retribution: Alston' The Age (5 August
2003)
YMA Media Activity
- Samantha Maiden, Pick
the performer. The Advertiser (6 August
2003) YMA
Media Activity
- Luke McIlveen and Colleen Egan. Alston
attacks Aunty's axe-wielding. The Australian (6
August 2003)
- Cynthia Banham. 'Uproar
over axed ABC youth jewel' Sydney Morning
Herald (6
August 2003) YMA Media Activity
- Chris Johnston and Annabel Crabb. 'Program's
fans queue up to extol old favourite' The Age (6
August 2003)
- Michelle Paine and Samantha Maiden. School
TV cut stirs Tassie outcry. The Mercury (6
August 2003)
Paul Higgins. 'A
stupid decision for the 'clever' country' The
Age (7
August 2003)
- Daniel Dasey, et al. 'Schools
asked to fight for TV show' Sydney Morning
Herald (8th
August 2003)
- Principals
protest against axing of 'Behind the News'. ABC
News Online.
23 September 2003.
July 2003
Safety advice for chatrooms and the internet
Are you concerned about your child's safety while using the internet?
Better inform yourself with our guides to Computers
and the internet.
We have everything you need to know, with topics including:
Wake up call to advertising industry on child
obesity
In an address to advertisers, the Minister
for Children and Youth Affairs, Mr Larry Anthony, said
that the industry has a social responsibility to the
healthy lifestyles and well-being of our children.
Held in Sydney, the Kid
Power 2003 forum (28-29 July 2003) focussed entirely on marketing
to children aged 3 to 12. The address by Mr Anthony, tried to promote
responsible advertising and proactive methods of keeping kids healthy.
As an example, Mr Anthony highlighted the rising numbers of childhood
obesity in Australia.
"In Australia, 20 to 25 per cent of children - that's around
1 million Australian children - are now overweight"
Mr Anthony said that obsession with body image amongst the Australian
population is spreading to children, even pre-schoolers, and that
the advertising industry must shoulder some of that burden.
"There is nothing wrong with making a dollar but I ask you
to also remember you do have a social responsibility"
While acknowledging the advertising industry is already showing
some signs of a revised social responsibility, Mr Anthony said "If
[advertisers] are not prepared to act responsibly then community
pressure will force the [Australian] Government to regulate the
industry".
One other suggestion made by the Minister, was for companies who
make money from children to return a percentage of their takings
to promote the importance of healthy lifestyles to both children
and parents.
Related web sites:
Media Coverage:
- Michael Bradley and Peter Gotting. 'Pressure
mounts for controls on food ads' Sydney Morning Herald
(31 July 2003).
- Mark Metherell. 'Junk
food ads face controls to fight obesity' Sydney Morning
Herald (30 July 2003).
- Ad
industry feels the heat over child nutrition. ABC News
Online (29 July 2003).
ABA calls for mobile phone protection for
children
Responding to new mobile phone technologies for image, video and
internet capabilities, the Australian
Broadcasting Authority (ABA) has made a submission to
the federal parliamentary committee calling for legislation
to protect children from paedophiles and inappropriate
content.
Public
hearings into cybercrime are being held in Melbourne,
Sydney and Canberra and the coinciding submission by
the ABA is to highlight their concerns over the release
of new technologies and the possible implications that
arise with current criminal law not being entirely clear
over what is illegal behaviour.
'Mobile
technologies present legal challenges' ABC News, 18th
July 2003
ACTF wins Silver at the 2003 AXIEM Awards
The Australian
Children's Television Foundation (ACTF) has come away from the
AXIEM Awards with two Silver Awards for its 3D authoring software
for kids, Kahootz.
The two awards were in the Educational Interactive Media and Children's
Interactive Media categories.
The AXIEM
Awards accept entries of electronic media from around the world
which are judged on innovation, creativity, technical merit and
overall experience.
Kahootz is a set of multimedia tools aimed at 7 to 15 year
old students. Students can use the tools included with Kahootz
to create 3D environments with animation, sounds, links between
scenes and then have the ability to take a journey through their
creation. They also have the added bonus of being able to share
these projects with other students and teachers from Australia and
the rest of the world.
Further information:
http://www.axiemawards.com/
http://www.kahootz.com.au/
Revised subscription TV and narrowcasting
codes of practice
The Australian
Broadcasting Authority (ABA) has registered the revised codes
of practice for subscription television broadcasting services, subscription
television narrowcasting services, open narrowcasting television
services, subscription narrowcasting radio services and open narrowcasting
radio services.
The revised codes have been developed by the Australian
Subscription Television and Radio Association (ASTRA) and replace
the previous ASTRA codes that have been in place since 1997 and
1999.
Professor David Flint, ABA Chairman said in a news release "The
ABA is satisfied that the codes provide appropriate safeguards for
the community."
The codes can be viewed on the ASTRA
website.
Commercialism in the classroom: US Video Release
"Captive Audience: Advertising invades the classroom"
has been released by the Media
Education Foundation (US) to expose the growing trend in US
schools to allow advertising to millions of school children in classrooms
each day due to problems with funding from the US federal and state
governments.
The classroom presents a "captive audience" of increasingly
influential and financial children to marketers by schools desperate
to raise funds. Corporations have been known to use classrooms,
hallways, cafeterias and even text-books as methods of carrying
their products into the minds of these very important consumers.
This video uses interviews with teachers, students, parents, and
activists; case studies; examples of methods that marketers are
using; it also features media analysts and critics giving informed
opinions about this practice.
For further information about the "Captive Audience: Advertising
invades the classroom" video see the Media
Education Foundation web site.
Alcohol awareness short film festival for
young people in NSW
Young people aged 18-25 in NSW are being given a voice concerning
the effects of drugs and alcohol on them and those around them in
the upcoming Play Now / Act Now short film festival called Getting
Smashed. Entry is free and films must be entered before 25 July
2003. As an incentive there are three cash prizes totalling $17,500.
The entries should be a reflection on the effects of drugs and
alcohol and engage an audience of the film-makers' peers. The finalists'
work will be screened at the Chauvel Cinema, NSW on 21 October 2003.
For further information contact Katrina Beck at Metro
Screen on (02) 9361 5318 or visit the Play
Now / Act Now web site
Canadians raising media culture awareness
among paediatricians
Canadian doctors have been urged to educate parents and children
about healthy media habits. This is to better equip them to deal
with excessive media consumption which may lead to sedentary lifestyle
and risky sexual behaviour.
"CALGARY - Media today play a powerful role in the lives of
young Canadians. And health care professionals now know that in
addition to positive implications, media consumption may also be
linked to health issues such as sedentary lifestyle, poor nutrition,
obesity, poor body image and low self-esteem, and even risky sexual
behaviour."
"That’s why the Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS) and
Media Awareness Network (MNet) have established MediaPulse, a national
initiative to raise awareness among Canadian paediatricians and
family physicians about young people's media culture. The project
will provide practical information and advice to help physicians
talk to patients and their families and encourage parental involvement."
For more information please see the MediaPulse
Factsheet
Phillip Adams comments on "corporate
paedophilia"
Phillip Adams' editorial in the
Weekend Australian Magazine, Paedophilia Inc,
raises the issue of "corporate paedophilia", relating
to
"..the abuse of children - involving sexual abuse, violent
abuse and economic exploitation - by some of the mightiest corporations."
and even more specifically relating to the billions of marketing
dollars which are being directed at children and affecting their
development, becoming not only consumers but "mini-adults".
We have even seen in recent studies, that in cases, growing numbers
of children and adolescents are fast becoming more influential consumers
than their parents.
Read the full Phillip
Adams editorial here. Reproduced with permission
June 2003
21st Annual ATOM Awards Winners
There are 29 categories in the ATOM Awards encompassing Film, Television
and Multimedia. The Awards are open to students, industry practitioners,
educational bodies and educational producers.
Some of the categories and winners this year include:
- Best Student Multimedia Production – Junior (K-8)
The 20 Cent Quest – Lara Primary School
- Best Student Multimedia Production – Senior (9-12)
The Bar - Facts & Evidence of Drugs - Tetsu Ohnishi
- Best Secondary Animation
Cows With Guns - Michael Richards (Glenunga International High
School)
and Cameron Edser (Concordia College)
Special Award Recipient – Best Student Body of Work:
Untitled 2 - Rowan McNaught (Caulfield Grammar)
- Best Secondary Documentary
Marine Parks: Managing our Oceans - Jasper Montana (Balwyn High
School)
- Best Secondary Fiction
Cliché - Spike McKenzie (Princes Hill Secondary School)
- Best Secondary Music Video
Until You Break - Elliot Spencer (School of Total Education, Warwick)
- Best Children’s Television Series
Pirate Islands - Jonathan M Shiff (Jonathan M Shiff Productions)
For more results and finalists visit the Metro
Magazine.
Tasmanian Longest Night Film Festival gets
OFLC exemption
The Office
of Film and Literature Film Classification (OFLC) has granted
the Tasmanian film festival, The
Longest Night Film Festival an exemption which allows youths
under 18 years of age to attend. Children under the age of 15 must
be accompanied by an adult. The festival is screening a range of
films from the 13th to 22nd of June.
Most children using email are receiving inappropriate
Spam
A recent survey by Symantec
Corp. has found that 80 percent of children using email are
receiving inappropriate Spam emails daily. The survey — conducted
online by Applied Research — uses results from 1,000 youths
aged between seven and 18.
Children's answers to the survey reveal that
- 80% receive sweepstake messages such as "Win a Playstation"
- 62% receive relationship specific spam such as "Meet singles
online"
- 61% receive finance-related spam offering mortgages and items
for sale.
- 55% receive weight-loss spam
- 51% receive pharmaceutical related spam like "buy Herbal
Viagra online"
- 47% receive pornographic content with links to X-Rated web
sites.
The survey has also highlighted that youths often feel uneasy about
the spam emails they are receiving but also that around 1 in 5 youths
will still open and read spam, especially spam which interests them.
When confronted with content that they find annoying, uncomfortable,
offensive or even interesting, 38 percent of the youths surveyed
do not tell their parents.
Read
the full results on the Symantec Corp. site.
Movies influencing adolescent smoking
A new study has been released this month, conducted to reveal whether
movies are influencing adolescents to take up smoking. The latest
report "Effect of viewing smoking in movies on adolescent
smoking initiation: A cohort study", was published online
in The
Lancet this month.
The research conducted by Madeline Dalton and other researchers
at Dartmouth
Medical School, surveyed 3547 students aged 10-14 who had never
tried smoking and then revisited them 13-26 months later for a follow
up interview. The results of this follow up interview showed that
out of the 2600 students contacted successfully, nearly 10% had
taken up smoking.
Out of all possible reasons adolescents take up smoking (such as
rebelliousness, parental smoking, peer pressure, self esteem) over
50% of the teens surveyed, said smoking in movies was a factor.
Somewhat related, The World Health Organisation (WHO) has initiated
a worldwide treaty signed by Australia and 190 other countries on
"World No Tobacco Day" 31 May 2003, to put an end to youth
smoking by ceasing tobacco product placement in films and promoting
of smoking in general. Other items in the WHO treaty include things
like: a ban on smoking-related brand names in movies; an R rating
for movies that include excessive smoking; anti-smoking ads to be
shown before the movie; and viewers be well informed of tobacco
company sponsorship.
Reports
- Dalton, M.A., Sargent, J.D., et. al (2003) Effect of viewing
smoking in movies on adolescent smoking initiation: A cohort study.
The
Lancet. Vol. 361, No. 9373, 07 June, 2003
- Glantz, S.A. (2003) Smoking in movies: A major problem and
a real solution. The
Lancet Vol. 361, No. 9373, 07 June, 2003
Media coverage of the report:
Related Websites:
May 2003
New study on obesity in pre-school children
A study has been released by Child
and Youth Health (CYH), "Overweight and Obesity in South
Australian pre-school children" that concerns the increasing
trend of growing numbers of obese and overweight children which
seems to be starting at a pre-school level. Figures collected over
the last 7 years are around double of what should be expected, showing
alarming figures for 4-5 year old males which have risen to 4% obese
and 15% overweight from 1996 figures. 4-5 year old females are marginally
worse.
CYH routinely collect this type of child health information at
the entire South Australian population level. The CYH data set contains
in excess of 14,000 pre-school children per annum which is around
85% of all 4-5 year old children
Related links:
Breakfast cereals not so good
A new report released by the Australian
Consumers’ Association (ACA) reports on breakfast cereals
and their nutritional value. This report published in April 2003
by Choice
Online mentions that "around 35% of the cereals looked
at came out looking good, 25% are ok, but the rest leave a lot to
be desired." The report also mentions that cereals aimed at
children are highly processed, sugar ladened, and lacking in fibre.
Read
the full Choice report.
Media violence concerns still high
Young Media Australia (YMA), expressed dismay that the Australian
Broadcasting Authority (ABA) had chosen to highlight a drop
in community concerns about TV violence in it release of its latest
survey, stating that the ABA’s emphasis could result in unjustified
complacency on the part of broadcasters and the community.
Related Links:
New research on Violent Lyrics & Aggressive
Thoughts
A new study called "Exposure
to Violent Media: The Effects of Songs with Violent Lyrics on Aggressive
Thoughts and Feelings" has been released in the Journal
of Personality and Social Psychology - Vol. 84, No. 5, 2003,
p. 960 - 971. Written by Craig A. Anderson, Nicholas L. Carnagey
and Janie Eubanks, the study examined the effects of songs with
violent lyrics on behaviour. "Discussion centers on the potential
role of lyric content on aggression in short-term settings, relation
to catharsis and other media violence domains, development of aggressive
personality, differences between long-term and short-term effects,
and possible mitigating factors."
According to the report:
"Experiments 1, 3, 4 and 5 demonstrated that college students
who heard a violent song felt more hostile than those who heard
a similar but nonviolent song. Experiments 2-5 demonstrated a
similar increase in aggressive thoughts. These effects replicated
across songs and song types (e.g., rock, humorous, nonhumorous).
Experiments 3-5 also demonstrated that trait hostility was positively
related to state hostility but did not moderate the song lyric
effects."
View
the full report from the Journal
of Personality and Social Psychology (US)
Press coverage:
Choice Report on Fast Food
A report published in April by the Australian
Consumers’ Association (ACA) tries to uncover some of the
truth about “fast food” and what it is doing to our and
our childrens waistlines - which are if you listen to the majority
of authorities expanding at an alarming rate.
“Fast food... you want fries with that?” studies different
brands of Fast foods from stores such as McDonald’s, Hungry
Jacks, KFC, Subway and Red Rooster looking at such things as fat
content, energy (kJ/Cal per serve), sodium content and weight of
the serve.
The researchers at the ACA recognise that fast food isn’t
solely to blame when inactivity also plays a strong part in obesity.
They also highlight that availability, relative low cost and aggressive
marketing in which fast food chains advertise their products is
a major part of the problem.
We
suggest that every parent reads the Choice report.
'190' numbers
Young Media Australia have received reports recently by concerned
parents about the ease of access by their children to services which
are provided by 190 phone numbers.
These 190 numbers are ‘premium rate services’ and are
currently used in Australia to provide information and entertainment
services by telephone, fax, SMS (short message service) and the
Internet. Content ranges from weather updates, sports, astrology,
professional and specialist information to dating contact services
and sex services.
Huesmann Longitudinal Violence Study
Longitudinal
Relations Between Children's Exposure to TV Violence and Their Aggressive
and Violent Behavior in young Adulthood: 1977 - 1992 was released
in Developmental
Psychology revealing the relationship between TV-violence
viewing and aggression in childhood. The studyalso demonstrates
that exposure to media violence predicts young adult aggressive
behaviour for both males and females.
Read
the report.
Media Research Gap symposium
"Despite media saturated culture, relatively little is known
about its effects on children."
On 9th April, 2003 in Washington, D.C. child development experts
met to discuss and help raise an awareness of the impact of new
media on children's development and the need for continued support
for research.
Speakers included Ellen Wartella (University of Texas), Don Roberts
(Stanford University), Sandy Calvert (Children's Digital Media Center),
Dan Anderson (University of Massachusetts), Michael Rich (Harvard
Medical Center) and other qualified representatives as well as US
Senators Lieberman and Brownbeck.
Click
here to view the transcripts of the symposium.
You may view the symposium press release by clicking
here.
Related links:
April 2003
The Office of Film & Literature Classification's
(OFLC) Combined Classification Guidelines
The Combined Classification Guidelines for Films & Computer
Games were released in Canberra on March 28, 2003.
These were the outcome of a review conducted over 18 months by the
Office of Film & Literature Classification. They take effect
immediately.
To read the new OFLC Films & Computer Games Guidelines, visit
the
Office of Film & Literature Classification.
Brain research and the Impact of Media
The United States Senate examines media impact on children. The
US Senate committee on Science, Technology, & Space heard testimony
on 10th April 2003, on the developing field of neurobiological research,
such as brian mapping, and its use in the investigation of the impact
of entertainment media on children's health. The following persons
were witness.
Dr. Joanne Cantor
Professor Emerita, University of WI-Madison
Dr. Dale Kunkel
University of California Washington Center
Dr. Michael Rich
Director, Center on Media and Children's Health, Children's Hospital
Boston
Dr. Daniel R. Anderson
Department of Psychology, University of Massachesetts
Dr. John Murray
Professor, Kansas State University
To see the transcripts of the hearing please visit the US
Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation.
M rated movies target young boys
Parents have been utilising our Movie review service to help make
decisions about their holiday viewing. If you are not aware of the
benefits please read our recent media release.
To view our selection of movie reviews, please visit the Movie
Review page. For additional information call the national freecall
Young Media Australia Helpline (1800 700 357) which is
available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
March 2003
Parents angered by media coverage of war and
its impact on their children
It is not practical to expect parents to be in the room with their
children constantly and there have been very few alternative programs
for children over the last few days.
For more information call the national freecall Young Media Australia
Helpline (1800 700 357) which is available 24 hours a
day, seven days a week.
Helping children cope with the media coverage
of war
YMA urges that irrespective of our political views about the war
and Australia’s involvement, one of our urgent priorities at
home must now be to protect our children from media harm.
For more information link to the following topics:
- Tragic world events in the media:
Or call the national freecall Young Media Australia Helpline (1800 700 357)
which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
For additional information, please visit the website Talking
With Kids About War and Violence on the Public
Broadcasting Service (PBS) website. Their guide can help you
develop effective ways to communicate with your children, monitor
their exposure to news, and soothe their fears.
The boys who are lost in cyber space
The Advertiser reports on a survey conducted over the last
2 years, by Ms Ridley and her supervisor, Dr Tim Olds, a senior
lecturer of the University of South Australia, which shows that
Australian boys spend on average just under five hours a day in
front of the screen watching television, videos and using computers.
However, 28 per cent of the boys in the survey spend more than six
hours a day on these pastimes and 14 per cent spend more than seven
hours in front of the screen. For the full Advertiser story click
on the link below.
Longitudinal study on children’s exposure
to TV violence
Research results of the longitudinal relations between children's
exposure to TV violence and young adult aggressive behaviour, has
just been published.
Abstract:
"Although the relation between TV-violence viewing and aggression
in childhood has been clearly demonstrated, only a few studies
have examined this relation from childhood to adulthood, and these
studies of children growing up in the 1960s reported significant
relations only for boys. The current study examines the longitudinal
relations between TV-violence viewing at ages 6 to 10 and adult
aggressive behavior about 15 years later for a sample growing
up in the 1970s and 1980s. Data reveals that childhood exposure
to media violence predicts young adult aggressive behavior for
both males and females. Identification with aggressive TV characters
and perceived realism of TV violence also predict later aggression."
(p.201, 2003)
Huesmann, Rowell; Moise-Titus, Jessica; Podolski, Cheryl-Lyn and
Eron, Leonard D. (2003) 'Longitudinal
Relations Between Children’s Exposure to TV Violence and Their
Aggressive and Violent Behavior in Young Adulthood: 1977–1992'.
In Developmental Psychology, Vol. 39, 2003, pp.201-221.
Regulating Youth Access to Pornography
The
Australian Institute (TAI) has released the report, Regulating
Youth Access to Pornography by Michael Flood and Clive Hamilton.
This report highlights why there is a need to regulate, the failure
of the current regulation system (known as the Online
Content Co-Regulatory Scheme) and suggest a better approach
to the regulation of youth access to pornography. The report should
be read in conjunction with TAI's Youth
and Pornography in Australia: Evidence of the extent of exposure
and likely effects report by Michael Flood and Clive
Hamilton (February 2003) or see our summary
below.
The press coverage of the report:
Youth and Pornography in Australia - The Australia
Institute (TAI) Report
The Australia Institute (TAI) has released it's report Youth
and Pornography in Australia: Evidence of the extent of exposure
and likely effects. Researchers interviewed 100 boys
and 100 girls aged 16 and 17 in Sydney and Melbourne. Some of the
more disturbing findings are that 84% of boys and 60% of girls have
accidentally stumbled on hard core sex sites when surfing the internet.
In addition 38% of boys and 2% of girls admitted to actively seeking
out porn sites. The report draws the distinction between 'mainstream'
pornography and the extreme material such as incest, rape, bestiality,
bondage and sado-masochism that is readily available on the internet.
The report draws on the current research literature which shows
significant associations between adult use of certain types of pornography
and sexual aggression. The report summarises three other potential
impacts on children and young people of exposure to pornography:
(1) young people may be emotionally disturbed or shocked by premature
exposure to sexual images (2) young people may be disturbed by images
of non-mainstream sexual behaviours, and (3) young people exposed
to these images may be more likely to accept and adopt them. To
view the full report access the TAI
website (under What's New). For press coverage of the report
and the issue of pornography and young people, see Kids
drawn into vile web porn as '60s generation sits on it hands
Sydney Morning Herald, March 3 2003, We've
seen it all before, say teen surfers Sydney Morning Herald,
March 3 2003 and Net
porn traps unsuspecting The Age, March 3 2003.
February 2003
Junk food advertising audit by the Australian
Divisions of General Practice (ADGP)
The peak body representing GPs, ADGP is aware of the increasing
incidence of obesity among Australian children and the impact that
this is having on the health of our population. Link to the
ADGP's
website to download the ADGP's Junk Food Advertising Audit.
News coverage:
- Ads give children fat chance of healthy diet Sydney
Morning Herald, 27 February, 2003
Tips for chatting safely online
The Australian Broadcasting Authority has released brochures containing
safety tips for using Internet chat rooms.
"Chatting online is a great way for children to keep in
touch with friends and to meet people from different cultures
and backgrounds, but they need to be aware a small number of people
they encounter in chat rooms may not be who they say they are,
and may have inappropriate reasons for contacting them."
said Professor Flint.
In ABA Update: Newsletter of the Australian Broadcasting Authority,
no.116, 2003, pp.22.
The brochures cover these topics: chatting safely, avoiding spam,
selecting a filter and general Internet safety. For copies of the
brochures contact the ABA, tel: 02 9334 7700 or email: online@aba.gov.au
For more information regarding safe chatting visit these website:
Chatdanger.com
(UK)
How to keep safe in chatrooms.
Childnet
International
Cybersmart
Kids (Australia) - ABA Website
Smart net surfing for kids and their grown-ups.
Includes cool kid's sites, tips for chatting, cyber teaching and
cyber parenting.
January 2003
TV carries messages that influence babies
"Television, reports a newly-released study, may have more
of an impact on infants than many parents once thought. According
to Tufts child behavioral expert Dr. Donna Mumme, new research shows
TV carries messages that influence the behavior of infants as young
as 12 months old." For the full news story link to Tufts
eNews.
This story is based on an article in January (2003) issue of Child
Development, "The infant as an onlooker: learning from
emotional reactions observed in a TV scenario" by Prof Donna
Mumme of Psychology Department, Tufts University, Boston.
The incredible shrinking childhood: growing
up fast in the 21st century
by Cameron Stewart in The Australian Magazine, (25-26 January
2003, p.14-17). YMA Director Jane Roberts comments on this topic
for YMA. YMA Media Activity
Scholarships in Children and Interactive Television
"Murdoch University, in conjuction with the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation, the Department of Education for Western Australia,
Nickelodeon and the Nine Network in Australia, will be offering
four (4) post-graduate scholarships for Masters and PhD research
associated with interactive television and children. This is an
exciting opportunity to position yourself at the cutting edge and
help invent the future of television." (The Australian,
24 January 2003)
For more information regarding the scholarship go to: http://www.itri.tv/
- Interactive Television Research Institute
Linguistic skills down due to TV
Right Royle problem for English children, (The
Australian, 10 January 2003, p.8), Glen Owen reports on a Times
story. According to Alan Wells of the British Basic
Skills Agency, the deterioration of English children's linguistic
skills (under 5 years old) is attributed to an increase in television
viewing and lack of parental time with children. From The
Australian:
"London family conversations have deteriorated into a "daily
grunt'' that leaves young children unable to talk properly, according
to the man in charge of maintaining educational standards in Britain.
Alan Wells blames television and long working hours..." (The
Australian, 10 January 2003, p.8)
Children, Young People and Media Globalisation
YMA highly recommends the Yearbook 2002, called Children, Young
People and Media Globalisation, from the UNESCO International
Clearinghouse on Children, Youth and Media.
A quote from the book:
"There is no way around it: the government must act on behalf
of children, because market competition and the pursuit of profit
forces the commercial system to neglect the long term well-being
of children. The media corporations simply turn children upside
down until all the money falls out of their pockets (and their
parents!), and then they let go." (McChesney, 2002, p.29-30)
About the book:
"The rapid rise of global commercial media, and the massive
expansion in the commercial media market directed at children,
makes it imperative that debates over media and media directed
to children receive widespread public participation and liberation.
This is the conclusion drawn by one of the authors, Robert McChesney,
in the fifth Yearbook, Children, Young People and Media Globalisation,
from The UNESCO International Clearinghouse on Children, Youth
and Media. The conclusion is supported by other research contributions
in the book representing different continents. The book also shows
that there are immense information and digital divides in the
world, and that media globalisation covers different parts of
the globe asymmetrically (at places, not at all)."
.
Feilitzen, Cecilia von & Carlsson, Ulla (Eds.) (2002) Children,
Young People and Media Globalisation. Sweden: UNESCO International
Clearinghouse on Children, Youth and Media. ISBN 91-89471-15-6
For list of contents, see the Clearinghouse homepage: http://www.nordicom.gu.se/unesco.html
New Australian Content Standards
Now available from the ABA Website the New
Australian Content Standards in PDF format.
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