Lauren Taylor on “The Good Guys: How Character Strengths Drive Kids’ Entertainment Wins”
This interview with the first author of the Character Strengths Report highlights the findings of the study and further work that can stem from this research.
Every year, as our children grow and change, entertainment media takes on a larger role in their development. With children having more access than ever before to consume television, film, and other alternative media on a daily basis, it has become important to filter developmentally appropriate content from potentially harmful content. Media that teaches positive values and aids with growth and maturity not only has the power to change lives but can have remarkable effects on the entertainment industry itself.
The CSS report “The Good Guys: How Character Strengths Drive Kids’ Entertainment Wins” (Character Strengths Report) explores these concepts through Common Sense Media’s tagging system for content, which focuses on developmental appropriateness across age groups. The report, led by CSS Fellow Lauren Taylor, highlights how the presence or lack of character strengths in media relates to how kids and their parents perceive the content, and ultimately if the film succeeds. By comparing films lacking and presenting character strengths, results show that those displaying traits like teamwork and courage are more successful as measured by box office performance metrics.
Character Strengths Are Universal
Taylor and her team assessed the following character strengths in their research: communication, compassion, self-control, curiosity, empathy, gratitude, humility, integrity, perseverance, courage, and teamwork. The last two were most prevalent and the study reveals that the magnitude of their positive impact can be felt internationally, regardless of culture. Taylor says, “It shows the universality of emotions and that these skills are important no matter what and span across all human beings.”
What About Teen Audiences?
Not only does the report find that media representing character strengths and positive values correlate to higher box office success domestically and internationally, but it also highlights where change needs to happen. “We answered the goal of the project, but I’m also really excited about the fact that we identified where character strengths are lacking in film and that teens are being left behind compared to the child audience,” Taylor says. “I have a passion for teen audiences and helping them, especially with teen mental health problems, and I’m excited to continue to explore that with these findings.”
By looking at the frequency of certain strengths like courage and teamwork, but the infrequency of other equally valuable traits, Taylor discovered where media representation of character strengths needs to improve and why it's so important to do so. “Teenagers want more authentic content. They are rejecting storylines of what used to be popular, but the shift hasn’t been represented yet in film and television.” In an already flooded media landscape, there is a growing importance in listening to teens who speak up about what content is making them feel more accurately represented and understood and reflecting those comments in popular media.
This highlights one of the bigger issues the report uncovered: the communication gap between content creators and teen audiences. Media has issues with misrepresenting teens and their values, something that adds to the failing line of understanding between storytellers and consumers. “Teenagers don't respond to content they feel is trying to send them a message or that is shoved down their throat,” says Taylor. Instead of working through this barrier, “content creators begin to think teenagers don't want to know how to, for example, display humility and integrity and self-control. This means audience members and content creators need to talk more.”
An open line of communication will help better bridge the gap between studios and their audience and lead to the creation of work that is presented as authentic and genuine. Especially as technologies and the kids of this generation grow simultaneously, Taylor thinks these changes are worth the effort it will take to implement them. “There's a big shift between how I grew up and how kids grow up now so it’s important for researchers, content creators, and parents to realize media is not all good and it's not all bad.”
This nuanced approach to media – such as highlighting character strengths for the benefit of consumers and creators – is exactly what the Center for Scholars & Storytellers aims to accomplish. “It’s a tricky balance to strike and nobody is going to get it perfect,” Taylor says. “But understanding the negative consequences that media can have and combatting that with some of the positive uses of it can go a very long way.”
Teen Blog Competition - February 2021
What would Leslie Knope do? Reflect on your own experiences and share your perceptions about how civic engagement is portrayed on TV. How do you think it could be better addressed? Feel free to draw from what you have perceived to be negative and/or positive portrayals.
Winning Entry:
Poppy McElrue, 14
Civic engagement is the active participation of individuals or groups aiming to address public concerns. This includes volunteering to help a community, working to maintain and improve living spaces, or voting in government elections. These are activities we’re familiar with, and may even be involved in, partially due to the effect of the media. We watch television from a young age - our perceptions of politics and widespread issues are shaped significantly by our exposure to shows. Clearly, the TV industry is an important tool for influencing communities, so when it comes to civic engagement, what does it do right and wrong?
A TV show that stands out in the field of civic engagement is Parks and Recreation. It follows main character Leslie Knope, a relentlessly optimistic, cheery government employee. While most of the main cast work in the parks department of Pawnee, Indiana, the show as a whole covers many topics relating to politics and public service. Parks and Recreation presents civic engagement as what it truly is - people working to address public issues, despite the difficulty they may face. For me, Leslie Knope is the embodiment of what it means to be a public servant. The show focuses significantly on Leslie’s pursuits of happiness, justice and equality, showing her unconditional love for her community. Despite most of the show surrounding Leslie, it is ultimately about how her active spirit encourages those around her, and by the end of the series she rarely faces a challenge without the support of her friends. The show’s core messages of friendship, love and public service is what makes it such an influential and positive representation of civic participation, showing the difference it can make to many lives.
Despite this, I believe that in the industry of show business there is an evident lack of representation for civic engagement. Politics is a well-covered subject, whether through positive or negative portrayals, but other areas of public service are constantly overlooked. This may seem insignificant, but it could have a profound effect on how community engagement is perceived. Civic participation in younger generations has declined over recent years - many young people choose not to vote or participate in politics. To combat this, the TV industry must play a part: many young people are avid TV-watchers or Netflix-bingers. More positive portrayals of civic engagement on TV, similar to Parks and Recreation’s influential messages, are useful tools for encouraging our society’s youth to contribute to their community.
Civic engagement is a crucial part of maintaining democracy. To encourage more people to participate, portrayals in TV should aim to be accurate, engaging and positive. Characters like Leslie Knope are incredibly influential - if a show like Parks and Recreation can encourage thousands of young people to become more engaged in society, imagine how many more would participate if other shows also presented civic engagement as it truly is - an essential, powerful and inspirational way to aim for the greater good.
Gaming and the COVID-19 Pandemic
As an avid gamer, I’m very familiar with the all-too-common phrases from parents about my gaming habits. From Mom telling me to “put my Nintendo away and go outside” to Dad worrying that “I should be spending more time with friends.” Their concerns were similar to most parents with teenage children, worrying about the effects of video games on my social health and academics.
But with the novel coronavirus setting the entire world into a time of uncertainty, where social isolation is prevalent, we turn to media and entertainment. Video games provide comfort and support as we battle a social capital standstill. While parents of teens worry about video games negatively impacting their children, they can find comfort in research that shows how collaborative video games positively influence individuals. Online gaming could prove to be a great source of social support, as well as a means to create prosocial environments (social behavior that benefits society or other individuals other than the individual themselves) both on-screen and off-screen.
Games such as ‘World of Warcraft’ (WoW), ‘Among Us,’ and even ‘Call of Duty’ encourage group play through collaborative tasks, adventures and characters that naturally compliment different players’ abilities. These Massively Multiplayer Online-Role Playing Games (MMORPGs) allow thousands of individual players to come together to play in an immersive and detailed environment filled with adventures and quests. In games like these, prosocial behavior is encouraged and rewarded. Players have a sense of obligation towards other members of their ‘guild’ (groups of players that play games together) as they go through quests and raids, offering a social structure in which prosocial behavior is essential to success. These types of collaborative and social games can be particularly useful for users with physical disabilities that hinder their movement outside the home, or in the current socially isolated state of the world.
These MMORPGs are highly social environments that allow for strong friendships to form and many of them utilize chat features and messaging boards to connect players. The “Social Side of Gaming” expands on the benefits of collaborative gaming on video game players, stating that sharing online space within games enhances the formation of social capital and fosters friendships offline. Some researchers attribute this type of gameplay to the idea of being “alone together,” which in times of social isolation and social distancing can be a positive psychological and cognitively clinical advantage. In simpler terms, gaming can reduce the stress of isolation and help facilitate social interaction and friendships in teens.
Being alone together within games allows players the autonomy to choose their gameplay while also providing a rich social environment. Many players utilizing MMORPGs indicate that a very social environment is their primary factor for choosing to play these types of games. The academic research also suggests that the “gameplay within these virtual worlds is enhanced because players not only use them as the game originally was intended to be played but also as arenas in which to explore new relationships, new places, and themselves.” Online gaming also contributes to a higher social capital amongst groups in games with more interactive play, thus creating social ties that extend outside of the game itself. This shows us that online gaming creates bridges for social networks that then create outlets for social support and social capital.
Many of these online interactive games allow players to be “more of themselves” than they otherwise would be as their offscreen self, adding to the enjoyment of the games and creating a social benefit for those who may not be able to do so in real life. In these uncertain times, it seems to be reasonable to relax on video game restrictions and allow teens the ability to connect in whatever way they are able to. The social atmospheres and ability to collaborate with other individuals just might be the key to this new online world we are collectively experiencing. It might not be a good old-fashioned hangout with friends, side-by-side, but for avid gamers it feels just the same.
Parents reading this might still be a little skeptical, and content creators might wonder “so what next in gaming creation?” So, here are some tips for parents to help relax their minds and even bond with their gamers a little more, and some advice for content creators on what to include in your next game.
Actionable Insights
Here are Actionable Insights for Parents on Video Games and their Teens:
Not all games are created equally. Check the age rating on any games you might get your kid.
If you are able to, play the game. Understanding the dynamics of the gaming world will help you understand the social world your kids are in.
Take an interest in what your child is playing. Ask about the characters, the narratives and objectives, and if there is a multiplayer option, play the game with them. The more invested you are in their play, the more information you get about your child’s social needs.
Use content restrictions on games for younger children. Many MMORPGs have filters where you can designate the age range of other players that your child can interact with. (i.e. only players between the ages of 13-16 can interact on the game)
Here are Actionable Insights for Content Creators of Video Games:
Write diverse characters that rely on interaction and prosocial behavior to succeed in the game.
Create reward systems that increase the likelihood of helping behavior and punish antisocial behavior.
When writing NPC (Non-player Characters), take a special interest in developing side quests that encourage everyday helping behaviors (i.e. an older woman asking a character to retrieve her chickens or deliver her mail for her).
Create info guides for parents on your game to help facilitate communication between players and caregivers.
Michelle Leccese, MA Psychology
Embracing Technology as a Tool for Healthy Attachments in Adolescence
Thirteen-year-old Kayla is dragged away from her social media by the interruption of her father's voice at the dinner table. Dad is trying to connect but Kayla rejects him, preferring the world inside her phone. At first glance, this scene in the 2018 film Eighth Grade feeds into common stereotypes that teens are bewitched by social media, which causes them to withdraw from their parents and become obsessed with peers. But does technology really take adolescents away from parents?
To understand this question, our research team in the department of psychology at UC Santa Cruz, designed a daily diary study to look at how teenagers are balancing time with parents and friends through face-to-face and computer-mediated communication. Contrary to stereotypes, our study found that adolescents who spent more time communicating with friends via technology also spent more, not less, time with parents compared to those who had less contact with friends. Likewise, Eighth Grade ultimately rejects the idea that adolescents use technology to get away from parents and instead paints an authentic portrait of how teens use their phones to explore new horizons while maintaining closeness with parents. In one illustrative example, Kayla uses technology to connect with her peer group but when she is upset and wants to leave the pool party of a popular girl at her school, her dad is just a phone call away to support her.
The teenage years are important for the expansion of healthy attachments, which includes feelings of emotional support, trust, and commitment in close relationships alongside feelings of autonomy and a sense of personal boundaries. Attachment styles begin to develop in the early stages of life based on interactions between infants and their caregivers. When babies receive predictable and appropriate care, they will begin to develop a secure attachment style in which they feel safe enough to explore their expanding world and trust they can seek the close support of an adult when in need. If these basic needs are not met, a child may develop an anxious or insecure attachment style in which they lack the ability to depend on their parents, creating a pattern of behavior that impacts how secure and confident they will feel in future social relationships. The nature of attachment shifts during adolescence and the crucial task is for parents to recognize their child’s growing needs for autonomy—adolescents who feel that their parents respect their personal choices are more likely to feel emotionally close to parents and will transfer that healthy balance of closeness and autonomy to future relationships.
In the latter half of the 20th century in Western cultures, adolescents’ development of emotional attachments to friends and romantic partners has been marked by greater distance from parents. Might we see less distance from parents with the convenience and portability of communication technologies making it easy for adolescents to stay connected while exploring on their own? Our study asked 169 high schoolers, ages 14 to 18, to complete daily diary surveys about their social interactions before bed for six consecutive days. On the last day of the study, the teens filled out a survey about their relationships with friends and parents. The survey also included scales to assess adolescents’ feelings of autonomy in relationships with their parents. The results suggested that technology can be used to enhance both autonomy and closeness during periods of transition in parent-adolescent attachments. The more adolescents communicated with friends and parents via technology, the more face-to-face time and emotional closeness they had with them. The study also found that the more teens communicated with their parents via technology, the more they felt a combination of autonomy and emotional closeness with them. Teens who texted more frequently with friends were more likely to make decisions independently from parents. Contrary to fears that technology is making us less social, our findings illustrate how digital tools are helping teens connect in new ways that honors their growing needs for autonomy. In Eighth Grade, Kayla illustrates these findings when she develops new friendships with older high schoolers and a boy in her grade. As a result of this independence, Kayla spends more time socializing with her dad, too.
Thinking of the phone as a transitional object is helpful for understanding how teens are balancing autonomy and closeness with parents in the digital age. During childhood, transitional objects offer children more independence while also providing connectedness and safety. Transitioning a child’s human contact through an object like a blanket or toy reminds them of their parents. Likewise, a smartphone provides the same support for teens. Not only does the phone create opportunities for freedom, it also grounds teens - like we see with Kayla at the pool party in Eighth Grade - in knowing they can connect with their parents anytime and anywhere, which may lay the foundation for ongoing secure attachment with parents even as teens form new emotional attachments outside the family.
Take Away Message for Storytellers
Eighth Grade parallels our research by showing that Kayla’s phone provides her new opportunities for socioemotional growth and social identity in her journey from childhood to adulthood. Eighth Grade resists exploiting the idea that adolescents use technology to replace parents with friends. Instead, it shows a true to life image of teens using social media to navigate their complex worlds of friends and family. This is what Eighth Grade does so well—it shows how important communication technologies are for Kayla’s growing independence and for her feelings of trust and support with her dad during a somewhat turbulent time of transition. The film makes a deliberate choice to show how Kayla uses communication technologies to support, not hinder her development. Our research also supports this more positive view of communication technologies. Ultimately, storytellers should continue to find ways to portray teens using digital tools for both autonomy and closeness, seeing these goals as compatible rather than contradictory.
Actionable Insights
Show characters in parent-child relationships engaging in healthy online communication
Show young characters using technology to connect offline in face-to-face interactions with friends and family
Show adolescent characters who use technology to gain independence and maintain closeness with their parents
Zoe Peterson
Department of Psychology, UC Santa Cruz
Adriana Manago, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Psychology, UC Santa Cruz
Collaborator of the Center for Scholars & Storytellers
Based on the article: Manago, A.M., Brown, G., Lawley, K., Anderson, G. (2020). Adolescents’ daily face-to-face and computer-mediated communication: Associations with autonomy and closeness to parents and friends. Developmental Psychology, 56, 153-164.
Gen Z Slang: From Coast to Coast
Despite being connected online, no matter what state you’re from, each city still retains its own language, slang, and vernacular. At my public high school in Los Angeles, we had our own secret language. A party was a “yart,” and if it got busted by the cops it was “rolled.” A beer was a “brewsky,” an uber was an “ubis,” and school was “skizz.” The way some of the boys from my high school talked was a little bit ridiculous [or maybe a lot ridiculous]. If I tried to use these words in front of anyone that didn’t live in Los Angeles, they would have no idea what was going on.
When I came to college and used these words around my roommate from the East Coast, she would look at me with a blank stare. It’s interesting to note that people around the world all have different terms for everyday things. Teenagers are often blamed for dismantling standard linguistic patterns, but I have often found it’s a way we connect with the people we live around. When I found other friends from the same place I was, it felt comforting that they knew the way I talked.
Although I’m not a linguistics major, I find it fascinating how we all make up words and phrases that become a part of our day to day speech.
Last year, I stumbled upon a British show called Love Island, which is a reality show that mixes people from different parts of the United Kingdom in a villa for about eight weeks. As a bystander, the way they talked felt so elegant and fun, but to them, it was just normal.
From the West Coast to the East Coast to the United Kingdom, here are a few English words or phrases that have different meanings to Gen Z depending on the place:
When Someone is Good Looking
A typical American thing to say when you find someone attractive is to call them hot, but in California oftentimes people will say “he or she is ‘fire.’” However, on Love Island, people will call a person “fit” if they find them attractive. Typically, when I think of the word fit, I would think they were in good shape, but in the United Kingdom it might mean you find them super attractive.
When You Agree With Something
In California, when someone agrees with what you are saying, a typical response is to say “I feel” or “I feel you” or “I feel that.” When I started college, I noticed all the East Coast kids would say “word” every time they agreed with what I said. I thought “word” was something people said in 2006, but I guess I was wrong.
Not Sure Why We Call Water This…
Something that both East and West Coasters say is “wince” for water or adding “ince” to the endings of things. I have no idea why people do this, other than the fact that they think it sounds cool when in reality, it doesn’t.
When You Want to Go to a Party
Another difference between the East Coast and the West Coast is the words we use for parties. On the West Coast, a party during the day is a “dayge” but on the east coast it’s called a “darty.” If you’ve ever seen the Real Bros of Simi Valley, a show about four young men who live in a California town in the Valley, they call their small get-togethers a “kickback.” While I thought this was widely known, my friends on the East Coast had no idea what I was talking about when I used the term. Instead they call it a “hang out.”
This One’s Pretty Shocking!
This one may be universal for English, but whenever I would feel shocked about something I would say “I’m shook” or “I’m shooketh.” The most surprising word I learned, though, was from my roommate who said “wig” if you were ever surprised by anything. Essentially it means that you are so shocked that your wig fell off.
When You’re Not Feeling Too Good
This one is kind of disturbing, but in Los Angeles, if you had to throw up people would either call it “yak” or “boot.” In other places, they would most likely just call it “vomit,” but it was more fun this way. If you were able to “rally” then you’d call it the old “boot and rally,” which is more of a universal English phrase, but teenagers love to make it their own.
This One is Trouble
Whenever someone got in trouble, a typical thing you would say is that person is grounded, right? At my high school, if someone or a party got in trouble, we would call that being “rolled.” On the East Coast people called that “busted.”
When You’re Upset
If you’re angry, a way you would express that is by saying “I’m heated” or “I’m fuming.” In Love Island, if someone was upset, they would say “I’m pied off” (similar to “I’m pissed off”).
Getting Along With Someone
Typically, Americans would say “we hit it off” when we get along with someone we are interested in, but in Love Island they like to say they had “banter.” They also say we “crack on” or “get on,” meaning they got along well with the person and can make jokes with them.
In Conclusion…
Why do different regions across the world have different lingo that they use? How does this even start? Our lingo and the way we speak constantly changes over the years and is dependent on who we are around. The way my parents used to talk isn’t the same way that teenagers in high school talk now. Our virtual world has caused Gen Z to start trends across the country with what phrases and words we say. After living in my hometown in Los Angeles and going to college with people from all over America, I have learned that each region still has its own English lingo. Midwesterns say “pop” but I say “soda,” East Coasters say “seltzer” but I say “sparkling water,” Southerners say “y’all” but I say “you guys.” Whether the way we talk is regional or from online, our communication is what keeps us connected to other people.
Chloe Uhls
Former CSS Intern
Article adapted from “English Slang at It’s Finest,” as it appeared on Flique Editorial.
What Teens Really Think About Their Social Media Lives: Tips for Storytellers
Social Media and Teens
© Photo by Jen Siska
In Common Sense Media’s latest research, teens share their experiences on everything from digital distraction to how social media makes them feel.
What teenagers look like they’re doing and what they’re actually doing can be two totally different things — especially when it comes to social media. A bored-looking ninth-grader could be majorly bonding with her new BFF on Snapchat. A 10th-grade gamer may complain loudly when you cut off his internet but be secretly relieved. An awkward eighth-grader may be YouTube’s hottest star. To find out what’s really going on in teens’ social media lives, Common Sense Media polled more than 1,100 13- to 17-year-olds in its latest nationally-representative research, Social Media, Social Life: Teens Reveal Their Experiences. The new study updates our 2012 study on teens and social media with surprising new findings that address many of parents’ most pressing concerns about issues such as cyberbullying, depression, and even the popularity of Facebook (spoiler alert: It’s not).
Why now? Today, 89 percent of teens have their own smartphones (compared with 41 percent in 2012). They grew up right alongside Instagram and Snapchat. They do research papers on Google Classroom, find emotional support on teen forums, share poetry on Tumblr, and may text “I love you” before they’d ever say it to your face. But concerns over the negative consequences of social media have grown in tandem with its popularity among teens. Grim reports on teen suicide, addiction, cyberbullying, and eroding social skills have caused many people, from parents to teachers to the tech industry itself, to look at social media as a potential contributor — if not the cause — of these issues. This survey clarifies some of those concerns and draws attention to the reasons some kids are deeply affected by — and connected to — their digital worlds.
Key Findings of Social Media Report & Actionable Insights:
Thumbs mostly up. Only a very few teens say that using social media has a negative effect on how they feel about themselves; many more say it has a positive effect. Twenty-five percent say social media makes them feel less lonely (compared to 3 percent who say more); eighteen percent say it makes them feel better about themselves (compared to 4 percent who say worse); and 16 percent say it makes them feel less depressed (compared to 3 percent who say more).
Managing devices is hit or miss. Many turn off, silence, or put away their phones at key times such as when going to sleep, having meals with people, visiting family, or doing homework. But many others do not: A significant number of teens say they “hardly ever” or “never” silence or put away their devices.
Less talking, more texting. In 2012, about half of all teens still said their favorite way to communicate with friends was in person; today less than a third say so. But more than half of all teens say that social media takes them away from personal relationships and distracts them from paying attention to the people they’re with.
Vulnerable teens need extra support. Social media is significantly more important in the lives of vulnerable teens (those who rate themselves low on a social-emotional well-being scale). This group is more likely to say they’ve had a variety of negative responses to social media (such as feeling bad about themselves when nobody comments on or likes their posts). But they’re also more likely to say that social media has a positive rather than a negative effect on them.
Tips for Storytellers:
Show kids (and their parents) putting phones away or on “do not disturb” at key times, such as mealtimes or bedtime. Kids know social media can get in the way of important things, but they have a hard time regulating their own use. Modeling mindful and intentional use can help to normalize behaviors. It’s also worthwhile to depict kids who take phone breaks for a day or more to feel less distracted, or to avoid digital drama.
Highlight the teens who need the most help. An honest depiction of teen social media use for a depressed teen might include a teen feeling unusually happy after receiving online validation (through likes or replies), but also deeply affected by comparing themselves negatively to others online (like on Instagram), or not getting likes or feedback after posting something.
Show the creative side of media to inspire teens to use media to learn and grow. Teens express themselves in a variety of ways on social media: creating and sharing art, photography, poetry and other writing, and music. Take care to show kids creating with their mobile devices, and not just consuming or mindlessly scrolling.
To find out the latest on what teens are doing on social media, check out Common Sense Media.
Michael Robb, Ph.D.
Senior Director of Research, Common Sense
Collaborator of The Center for Scholars & Storytellers
Caroline Knorr
Senior Parenting Editor, Common Sense
“It Depends”
“It Depends” – The Most Annoying and Honest Response that I Give
“Does media violence harm young people?”
It depends.
“Do apps that are labelled educational actually help children learn better?”
It depends.
“Is multitasking problematic for teens?”
It depends.
“Can social media, like Facebook, really support social wellbeing?”
It depends.
As the director of one of the world’s largest centres for the study of young people and the media, and as the chair of the Children, Adolescents, and Media division of the International Communication Association, I get asked to talk about this field – A LOT. Phone calls from journalists are the norm. Invitations to speak globally flood my inbox. Parents and caregivers send messages. Creators send me pitches. Even family parties are flooded with questions. The topic of children and media is a topic that quickly sends everyone on high alert. Everyone has a perspective – and one they are ready to defend.
Some argue passionately that media has robust and meaningful effects that must be understood and capitalized upon. Others argue just as passionately that media has little effects in the grand scheme of things, and that media panics of our day are ‘much ado about nothing’. Some are convinced that today’s smartphone generation is dumbing itself down, others are convinced that the same generation will be far more equipped for the years to come thanks to their digital literacy and flexible thinking.
Everyone has a perspective.
So do I.
Except my perspective is not the popular one. My perspective often elicits a few eye rolls followed by the push to ‘pick a team’. (PS: I have picked a team … it’s the Philadelphia Eagles!)
Just as others passionately argue for their perspective, I passionately argue for mine – which is ‘It Depends’. You see, after more than a decade in this field, and after having a bird’s eye perspective of the field and its (enormous) growth for some time now – I know one thing for sure: Effects are not that simple.
Time and time again, we see that WHO a young person is dramatically influences the extent to which they select, experience, and are affected by media content. Age matters – this we know. But so too does a host of personality traits and range of background variables. Some children love sensation and they seek out fast-paced content, experience deep physiological reactions to it, and then experience intense effects. Other children with comparably lower need for sensation are uninterested or relatively unaffected by the content altogether. Same thing goes for differences in intelligence, or personality traits like degree of extroversion, trait empathy, curiosity, and more. And let’s not forget the larger context with which the child is growing up. My own research with colleagues at CcaM has shown remarkable differences in the extent to which media has any effects based on how parents mediate the home media environment, as well as based on the peer environment that surrounds young people.
Naysayers of media effects tend to suggest that the statistical media effects found in research studies are quite small, and as a result, are relatively meaningless. Proponents of media effects like to hold up these effects and highlight how many effects are similar in strength to those found in investigations on the relationship between smoking and lung cancer.
But I am not taking a side on this.
I don’t see these effect sizes as anything else than what they are – an aggregate of the relationship between media exposure and media effects. And while statistical effect sizes help us understand what is going on for most people, they can easily mask the messier truth: specifically, that a minority of children may be particularly influenced by (certain kinds) of media, while others may be less or unaffected altogether.
This perspective doesn’t make me popular. My response doesn’t lend itself to soundbites or so-called “chocolate headlines”. It frustrates people. How can we, after so many years of research, still say “it depends”? Well, think about it. The media space is changing fast and furiously. So fast that I find myself texting my godson to tell me about the newest social media space I should know, and have him help me decipher what teens mean when they write #OOTD (… in case you were wondering, it’s Outfit Of the Day…). We are barely keeping pace with a media space that is increasingly on-demand, increasingly portable, and increasingly personalized. At the same time, our context of use is ever more complicated … the so-called ‘family hearth’ is a thing of the past. And, our ability to understand and study what young people bring to the media experience is more advanced than ever before. If you had told me 15 years ago that I could look at patterns of brain activity with fMRI to understand how Instagram use impacts teens’ neural processing, I would have looked at you with a blank stare. I am not saying our lessons of old aren’t valuable – they are, immensely so. But … we are in a new space that is increasingly complicated and I believe we do a disservice to our community if we make bold un-nuanced claims to effects.
Life is messy. It’s not that surprising that our research findings are messy as well. Rather than fight the mess, I am trying to embrace it. Sure, some days it makes me want to pull my hair out as I battle another manuscript or try to find a clear answer for a journalist. Some days I find it frustrating that I cannot put everything into a neat and organized list for parents as they ask for tips about how to best manage their home media environment. Sometimes I wish I had a chocolate headline to share. It would be easier, that’s for sure.
But easy is overrated, right?
It depends.
Jessica Taylor Piotrowski, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, University of Amsterdam
Director, Centre for Research on Children, Adolescents, and the Media (CcaM)
Collaborator of The Center for Scholars and Storytellers
Dr. Jessica Taylor Piotrowski is the Director of the Centre for research on Children, Adolescents, and the Media at the University of Amsterdam. She is the co-author of the book “Plugged In: How Media Attract and Affect Youth”. You can download an open-access copy of the book from the publisher’s website (https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300218879/plugged). A Philadelphia native, Jessica traded cheesesteaks, cars, and the Liberty Bell for stroopwafel, running routes, and windmills in 2012 – and hasn’t looked back since. You can find her on the web at www.jessicataylorpiotrowski.com… or running her next marathon somewhere in Europe.