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    13 views11 pages

    MMCHP1

    Uploaded by

    Leonardo D Carvalho

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
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    of 11
    The Developing Child Series The Perceptual Word of the Child, by T.G.R. Bower Dayar, by Alison Clarke Stviart Early Language by Peter A, de Villiers anil G. de Viliers. Distress ant Comfort, by Judy Dunn Sisters end raters, by Judy Dunn Montl Retardation, by Robert B. Edgerton Learning Dinas: A Paychologial Teepe, by Sylvia Farnbann-Diggory Cire’ Tak, by Catherine Garvey Play, by Catherine Garvey Caren Drawing, by Jacqueline Goodnone Mind and dedi: The Eft of Teoision, Video Games, and ‘Computes, by Patricia Marks Greenfield (hi Abuse, by Ruth 8. and C.Heney Kempe ‘he Pychology of Cit by Aidan Macarlane Tater by Ross D. Parke Chit’ rend, by Zick Rin Maturing, by Raph Schaffer The Ft Kelis fot end Mother by Danie Stern Mind and Media The Effects of Television, Video Games, and Computers Patricia Marks Greenfield Harvard University Press Cambridge, Massachusetts, To the memory of my mother, to Matthew, and to Robert In their individual ways, each is a part of this book Copyright © 1964 by Patra Mata Grenfld All ght reserved Pinte in the United Sates of Amesioe woere sa 3 ‘This book i printed om acid ee pape, and ts binding materi have Ben chosen for suangih and dab brary of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data (Greene, Pata Marks, ‘Mind and me (he Developing ch) Biblogapiy Incides index 1 Mam media and children. 2 Televison and chien 8 Vio games. Child development. [Tie I. Sere, HQrseMaGrS 1984 30523 S864 ISBN 0-474.576209 (ah. paper) ISBN 0674578217 (pal. papes) ‘Thisbook represents the coming together of many strands ie my intellectual and personal Ife. A common thread throughout my research career has been the “language thought problem”: what isthe psychological relation ship between language and other modes of thought? As posed in this book, the question has broadened to "What ‘nthe relationship between media of communication and the development of thought” In Senegal in 1963-64 [had the opportunity to observe the introduction of formal schooling and iteray into an cal culture. For he frst ime, I no longer tok for granted the medium of print that was almost second ature in my ovn culture: My research on other media began in connection with the development of childrens radio at KPFK, the Pacifica radio station in Los Angeles. My colleaguesand I compared the effects of radio with those of television. From a theoretical point of view, print and radio provide natural fils to shovr what diferecetle- Vision has made as it has taken over many ofthe func tions ofthese older media. This comparative perspective turned into Chapter 6 “The invitation to write this book came just as my son, Matthew, was dragging me into the computer age. L was curious tolear what microcomputers wereallabout | Peace and what was happening to children ike Matthew who ‘were fascinated by them. I first envisioned one chapter ‘on children and computer technology that would be a futuristic ending to the book. But the future arrived ‘more quickly than | anticipated; and my planned chapter ‘mushroomed into two. As Matthew guided me through the world of video games, what had been planned as a subsection of the computer chapter grew to bea chapter in itself ‘These two chapters were difficult to write because I ‘ould not come to them as any sort of an expert. In the area of video games, there were not even any experts to consult. could only approach the subject as an an- thropologist coming into a foreign culture. I wondered about the nature of the motivations and skills that chil dren in the video/computer culture have, skills that I, as a member of a different culture, lack. 1 wondered ‘why skills that were so simple and obvious for my teen age son were difficult and sometimes impossible for me. ‘The answers I came up with are contained in Chapters 7 and 8. Without the generous help I received from many di- rections, this book would have been much the poorer. At the stage of research, I was very much aided by Valeria Lovelace and Mary Smith at Children’s Televi- sion Workshop; Midian Kurland, Jan Hawkins, Samael Gibbon, Cynthia Char, and Karen Sheingold atthe Bank Street Center for Children and Technology; James Levin, «pioneer researcher on childven and computers, at the University of California, San Diego; Sherman Rosenfeld, 8 specialist in children’s informal learning of science and technology; Oliver Moles at the National Institute of Education; and Tkomas Malone at Xerox Palo Alto Re- search Center, author of the first experimental research ‘on chikdren and video games. ‘The fun in writing the book came from the many Peface / peopl with whom I discussed it talked about he st Ein ith my neighbor and fend Andy Weis,» fn maker and stent of the medi, who responded not oniy with support but with provocative examples that tctme part of ater dette, While [was wetng, Mat thew nas taking ninth-prade English course that com bined fin with ltrstate. This css, the student rexponse fo ity and discussions with ts inspiring and Knowledgeble teacher, Jim Hosney (an instructor tthe ‘Amerkan Film ste as well as at Crssends Scho}, eth confimed and exiended my ideas about the ed nal ot of tlvson and fm, Converts with Tom Bu, my old junior high dassnate, now a Hol Iywood screener, were stimulating and enjoyable Winted White, a member of NBC's chikren’s pro: suming departnent, gave me another perspective on ‘Sires television, ae well some very useful ifr mation Tide Himmelwel, a pioneering reteatcher on chi dren and television, gave me insportant guidance the Istory of reenreh inthe area and fo the Bish per spective on the subject. Mallory Wober, of England's Independent Broadaasting Authority, generously ied in the holes in my knowledge of Britsh television by sending me mattial and snewering questions, He so helped me to retlnk some thorny problema Stsan Chipman, from the Notional Institute of av cao, aves ough and very al tga ny a ter hupers and thoughtlly sent se wien mater fith wih to answer the questions she asd, all within Some very unvesconabletine constraints that imposed Karen Shuingldalsowasinfluentlinmodiying Chap. ter, both through making coments on te chapters tnd through sending me the latest unpublished reports from the Hank Srcel Center for Children and Teena ogy. Gavel Salomon commented ona chapter, sent me 1 Preace ‘ew and interesting material, and generously answered ‘my questions about his work. Aimée Dorr provided hand torlocate materials, Sylvia Scribner read the entice fist daft; her comments simultaneously made me feel was ‘on the right track and provided extremely helpful sug. gestions for revision, Jessica Beagles-Roos was _my_ staunch colleague throughout the research on radio and television, which was supported by the National Institute of Education, She also read early drafts of several chapters and init, ated and carried out data analysis that substantially ‘modified Chapter 5. Wendy Weil, old friend, canocing Patiner, and literary agent par excellence, gave me ex ‘cellent advice at a number of crucial points, Paul Riskin skilfully did the computer printouts to illustrate the video game chapter. Richard Stengel came up with the book's tite. My parents, David and the late Doris Marks, sup- ported me throughout the writing and commented on 4 number of chapters. My mother also served as a vol, lunteer research assistant for my radio- television project, accurately coding large quantities of data. Others who were generous in reading draft chapters were: Edward Palmer, Thomas Malone, Laurene Mer. ingot, Kathy Hezdek, Jerome Johnston, Gordon Berry, Sherman Rosenfeld, and my editors Eric Wanner, Helen Fraser, Barbara Lloyd, Jerome Bruner, and Michael Cole. In addition, Eric’s positive feedback at the eatly stages and availability throughout gave me the courage and enthusiasm to complete the project. My. manuscript editor, Camille Smith, managed to make the book 1. cessible to more readers, despite working with a ten. ‘Peramental author who didn’t like her baby undergoing, major surgery. ‘My children, Lauren and Matthew, were tolerant of being neglected while I was in the throes of writing, Preface fa Ben mare bth helped ith the prt el Laren took pictures forthe Book and id Mary work a tras even when she aid want fo. Mathe showed the ow to ply vdeo games noe he 1 le tstng new one, read chapter, put manuscript correc Sons athe campus, am chapters tough the freling program, assembled the sofware rele Ences, and elped with stration forthe vdeo game ipl. Most ptt he wo constant ou ‘nom! suppor tothe very en T woul ike to exprese my thanks and appreition for all of these contributions. Thope that exch person ‘who helped wil find satisfaction in the ial outcome of all of our efforts, Me. Contents 1. The Electronic Media 2, Film and Television Literacy 3, Television and Learning 4. Television and Social Reality 5, Using Television to Overcome Educational Disadvantage 6. Comparing Print, Radio, and Television 7. Video Games 8. Computers 9, Multimedia Education References Suggested Reading Index 23 a 61 % 7 aw 157 183 2m 205 ei Dowlaginy vi Jean-Claude Lejeune (Steck, Boston) Chhlild 3 Gabor Demjen (tock Boston) 24 James R: Holand Stock, Boston) | % Robert. Boland . dia © Julie O'Neil (Stock, Boston) Mind and Me 72 Peter Menzel (Stock, Boson) 9 Christopher Brown (Stock Boston) 125 Richard Sobel Soc, Boston) be Richard Sobol (Stock, Boston) The Electronic Media ln California there isa group called the Couch Potatoes, who consider themselves “the true televisionares,” They take their name from their favorite place for vegetating in front of the TV set, and from a vegetable with many ‘eyes, An ad to recruit members for the group goes like LUV this: "Do you enjoy excessive amounts of TV viewing? Were some of the most enjoyable times of your life ex: HUEY perienced in front of your set? Were your formative | HH Years nurtured by the ‘electronic babysitter? Are you annoyed by crybaby intellectuals who claim that TV Viewing is counterproduetive and a waste of time? Like te do most of your living on the couch?” Asked by a reporter to comment on a two-way cable TV system that allows viewers to talk back to the tele vision, one of the Couch Potatoes responded: “Why Watch TV if you have to think and respond? As far as concemed, the main point of watching TV is that it lets you aeoid having to do that. To put it another way, if you're going to have to respond to your TV, you might a5 well go out and cultivate friendships or read a book or something, The Cotich Potatoes consciously caricature, by camry ing to an absurd extreme, the idea that television is a passive, antvintellectual medium, a medium that en 21 Mind and Media

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