Abstract
Usha Raman and Sumana Kasturi (Eds.), Childscape, Mediascape: Children and Media in India (Orient Blackswan, 2023), 349 pp. ₹1,100, ISBN: 978-93-5442-730-59 (Hardback).
Since the advent of information and communication technology, the world of children has undergone significant changes. In addition to the popularisation of mobile phones, children are more overcome by digital and electronic media now than previously. This interaction between children and content delivered through interactive communication technology has significant short- and long-term effects on their learning skills, as well as on their physical and mental well-being. Though the former might provide the window through which knowledge about different subjects can be gleaned, the propensity of children to get addicted to new-age media for new forms of entertainment cannot be ruled out. This can have perilous effects, probable outcomes being aggression in behaviour, lack of focus in studies, restlessness, sleeplessness, anxiety and inclination for self-harm.
In Childscape, Mediascape: Children and Media in India, Usha Raman and Sumana Kasturi make a key contribution to the area of media literacy, offering insights into the dynamic interaction between media and the child’s mind and psychology. In the opening chapter, ‘Coming of Age’, author Manisha Pathak-Shelat outlines existing literature and is thus a reckoner for existing researchers and practitioners. However, the author’s critical examination of media and children in the western context overlooks societal factors like religion, caste, creed and gender. Focus on these aspects and how they influence children’s perception of media and learning from it could have enriched the account further.
In the second chapter, ‘What’s the Story Here’, author Devina Sarwatay discusses the transformative impact of digital media on children and their thought processes. The chapter outlines the way children use media, how they get impacted by it, and what can be done by practitioners and parents to ensure that the impact is positive and productive. The author discusses interventions that policymakers might need to consider to prevent issues like cyberbullying, stalking, media addiction and helicopter parenting. The need for developing media literacy among children so that a rights-oriented approach can help regulate media and the social lives of children is adequately emphasised.
In ‘Transgressing Innocence’, Deepa Sreenivas discusses why children should be exposed to literature about people from underprivileged homes. The author draws attention to children’s literature and its focus on middle-class lives. The need to rectify this by leveraging media is discussed. The fourth chapter, ‘Juxtapositions and Transformations’ by Aditya Deshbandhu, explores how media narrates incidents about children and its impact on them. Currently, the media projection of cases involving children gives rise to the perception of them being vulnerable and devoid of any support or networks. Citing urban middle-class children’s participation in video games, the author argues that children do have networks which often parents are unaware of.
In ‘Reflections and Re-Presentations’, Mehak Siddiqui discusses the use of children for varied ends through media. Visuals and footage of child victims of calamities or wars have been used to trigger political debates within or between countries. Images of children as passive victims and sufferers are used to fundraise, sensationalise presentations, stimulate public passion. Often, children are aware that they are being exploited.
In ‘To Be or Not to Be….with Technology’, Kamala Mukunda reports findings of focus group discussions of senior school students regarding the use of smartphones. A section was in favour of keeping television and digital media out of reach, implying that children should not be allowed access. Others called for developing greater media literacy among children while continuing to expose them to media alternatives. The author aligns with the latter, pointing out the utilisation of technology as a means to neutralise negative fallouts, such as making children aware of the hazards of excessive usage, especially on mental well-being.
‘Everyday Use of Digital Technologies by Adolescent Girls’, by Anita Sareen Parihar, makes a strong statement about the inclusion of children in drafting policies to protect them from online threats like bullying and stalking. The author informs readers that, on the basis of group discussions, it is clear that young people are more aware of online challenges than is usually perceived. Therefore, it is vital to include their viewpoint. In the context of India, the chapter explores how girls perceive inappropriate communication, harassment and unwanted behaviour in the virtual space. It concluded that the need for heightened public awareness about the ill effects of media on girls is required, which would make teachers and parents more alert regarding the protection of children from online victimisation.
In ‘Adolescents and Social’, Archana Kumari discusses in-depth interviews of children aged between 13 and 17 years from urban and semi-urban areas on issues of accessibility, viewing and usage control and expectations from new-age digital media platforms. The author concludes that users are aware of online threats and challenges like harassment, bullying, indecent approaches and chats, anxieties and depression and privacy breaches. Yet, due to its phenomenal expansion, social media-related content and behaviour have not been regulated optimally. Hence, users need to control and protect themselves from online threats and exploitation.
The ninth chapter, titled ‘Kids Make Art’, traces the value of creativity and art among children and the ways in which they can be taught to create content that is purposeful. Their creative expertise and knowledge about finding solutions will empower them and enrich their performance.
In ‘Redefining the Political by Visual Narratives of Sangwadi Khabaria in Central India’, Vasuki Belavadi draws upon incidents of the community to show how media literacy among children and others from marginalised communities can provide a platform to articulate challenges, raise voices against injustice, develop networks and become politically valuable and relevant. The author invited students from the village to use media and expose themselves to the world beyond. This was initially met with scepticism—but soon, students gradually took to learning video editing online and created their own content. These capsules were aired in gatherings and discussions about the rights of the underprivileged.
In the chapter ‘Romance in the Times of Facebook’, Nimmi Rangaswamy conducts in-depth interviews with 31 young respondents in Chennai and Hyderabad slums and employs observational methods to study their daily use of Facebook. Social relationships built and sustained through social media and learning of online conduct and etiquette were also explored. The author concluded that being able to use social media and also have access to other forms of media provided young people with a sense of empowerment, as social media facilitates the opportunity to express oneself.
In the last chapter, ‘Religious Socialisation of Children’, Kiran Vinod Bhatia critically examines the manner in which media promotion of religion can be used as a tool to regulate the online behaviour of children and their activities. It is contended that media can be instrumental in creating religious fantasies for children, which in turn dictates the manner in which they act, conduct themselves and speak to others of their religion as well as those from different faiths. The author, drawing on ethnographic findings among young Hindus and Muslims of Gujarat, demonstrates how religious discourses aired through media can lead to microaggression among children.
Childscape, Mediascape: Children and Media in India offers in-depth analyses of how media influences young minds from different castes, creeds, economic backgrounds and religions. The selected chapters offer insights about such impact from different perspectives relevant to children. The editors skilfully blend the impact of media on the formative aspects of child development and growth, underlining that children in cities and towns are increasingly getting exposed to digital media from a tender age well beyond school and textbook education. The influence of social media platforms is evident in narratives being created by young people that combine text and visuals to represent their thoughts and feelings. The book is a treasure trove for students, teachers and researchers of media studies and media professionals, as well as others interested in the subjects covered.