small screen News Digest of Australian Council on Children and the Media (incorporating Young Media Australia) ISSN: 0817-8224 No. 274 April 2011 “There’s a crisis in childhood” says Convergence Review Committee Archbishop ABC announces changes to children’s finalised viewing Elissa Doherty, The Minister for Broadband, Communi- writing in the On 14 April, ABC TV’s Controller of cations and the Digital Economy, Sena- Herald Sun, re- Children’s Television, Tim Brooke-Hunt tor Stephen Conroy, today announced ported that the announced that from May 2, ABC1’s morn- Louise McElvogue as the third member Anglican Arch- ing children’s programs will be replaced by of the Convergence Review Committee, bishop of Mel- ABC News Breakfast. which is undertaking a landmark review bourne, Dr Philip of Australia’s media and communications Freier, is con- Morning programs for preschool children regulatory framework. cerned that chil- will now be on the digital channel ABC2 dren were being which will extend its children’s pre-school Ms McElvogue joins the Chair, Mr Glen robbed of the programming to 13 hours airing daily from Boreham, and Mr Malcolm Long on the fun of childhood 6am-7pm. three-person committee. because they were already experiencing the problems of Tim Brooke-Hunt said “The purpose of the The Convergence Review Committee has adults - including sexualisation, depres- changes to our broadcast schedules ... is to released a framing paper for the review sion and body-image blues. provide our pre-school audience (aged up and issued a call for submissions. These to 5 years) with age-appropriate program- can be made either online through the Dr Freier made a submission to the 2008 ming from 6am to 7pm, seven days per Department’s website or by email to the Senate inquiry into sexualisation of chil- week..” Convergence Review Secretariat. dren in the media but says that research into the issue needs to be broadened and ABC1 will continue to broadcast its usual The closing date for submissions is 10 June has called for a major government inquiry children’s programs from 3pm to 6pm each 2011. into the state of childhood in Australia. weekday. Further details are available on the Depart- Dr Freier will be one of the speakers at a At the same time, ABC TV’s Play School ment’s website: seminar: Bratz, Britney and Bralettes: The series will be available to view online for sexualisation of children in the media that www.dbcde.gov.au/convergence the first time via the video section of the will be held on May 19 at Ivanhoe Girls ABC 4 Kids website and on ABC iview. Grammar School. For details of this semi- Parents opt for healthier Easter nar see the advertisement on this page. For more about the changes and other in- A social media poll undertaken by The Par- http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/kids- formation about ABC children’s television ents Jury showed that the Easter Bunny’s just-cant-be-kids-says-archbishop/story- go to http://www.abc.net.au/children/ chocolate delivery was much smaller this e6frf7jo-1226052167797 year, with almost half of the surveyed par- ents choosing to give their children sugar Bratz, Britney and Bralettes: free gifts such as wooden eggs for painting, The sexualisation of children in the media toys and story books.

Thursday 19 May 2011 The Parents Jury Manager, Corrina Lange- 7:00 pm for 7:30 pm to 9:45pm laan, said that the survey showed that most parents believe in moderation. Almost 60 The Performing Arts Centre, Ivanhoe Girls’ Grammar School per cent of parents reported that they were Cnr Noel Street & Upper Heidelberg Road, Ivanhoe VIC 3079 giving their children just one or two eggs. • Steve Biddulph, Author and Family Psychologist (via video presentation) The Parents Jury is an online network of • Julie Gale, Founding Director of Kids Free 2B Kids almost 5,000 parents, grandparents and • Dr C Glenn Cupit, Senior Lecturer in Child Development, guardians, who are interested in improv- University of South Australia ing the food and physical activity environ- • Archbishop Dr Philip Freier, Anglican Diocese of Melbourne ments of Australian children.

Cost: $30.00 http://parentsjury.org.au/tpj_news. For more information, or to book by phone, contact ACCM: asp?ContainerID=easter-poll-2011 [email protected] PH 08 8376 2111 http://www.childrenandmedia.org.au/mediachildren/03_15_seminars_melb11.htm

CHILDREN IN CRISIS SAYS EDITORIAL: ABC ANNOUNCES CHANGES IN ARCHBISHOP ALWAYS CONNECTED CHILDREN’S TV MELBOURNE SEMINAR GOING WITHOUT MEDIA CONVERGENCE REVIEW COMMITTEE small screen April 2011 p2

EDITORIAL

Always connected • mobile media appears to be the next in thing- children no. 274 April 2011 “Always connected” is the title of a recent report like their media on the go. from the Sesame Workshop and the Joan Ganz small screen Cooney Center on media use by 0-12yr olds in The report urges the provision Editor: Barbara Biggins OAM the US. of guidance for parents to help Compiler: Caroline Donald them find a balanced media diet. Barbara Biggins Editorial Board: Barbara Biggins, OAM Jane Roberts, Judy Bundy, The Sesame Workshop reviewed seven studies It argues that few parents know Hon CEO Elizabeth Handsley. from 2006 to 2010 on young children’s media about the American Academy of use. The Workshop considered that by analysing Pediatrics’ recommendations for media use (none small screen is published at the multiple studies over time they could arrive at under 2 and less than 2 hrs per day for older beginning of each month and children). They suggest that parents may ignore reports on the events of the a balanced portrait of children’s media habits. previous month 11 issues per What they found was that media is a major them because they use screens for child minding, year (Dec/Jan double issue) presence in the lives of young children: they or actively reject them because they think media Published by are exposed to increasing amounts and types of promotes intellectual development. Australian Council on media, and they are avid consumers as well. Children and the Media For those parents who want to work out how best (ACCM) But they found a settled pattern : “Even to “navigate the new terrain of digital media” , PO Box 447 as technology evolves and young children the report says “there are few places to turn for Glenelg 5045 increasingly turn to games and mobile media, advice on best practice, and much more needs South Australia they still love television the best”(p4) to be done and established by way of rigorous, [email protected] research-based guidelines”. www.youngmedia.org.au Tel: +61 8 8376 2111 Here’s a snapshot of their findings: Fax: +61 8 8376 2122 And so say all of us! Another federal budget Helpline: 1800 700 357 • Children have more access to all kinds of has come and gone, and still there’s no funding digital media, and are spending more time for such endeavours. Internet safety programs ACCM is a national, non-profit each day with them still attract big funds, but these programs do community organisation. not support the much needed early intervention Its mission is to promote a • TV continues to exert a strong hold over quality media environment for young children with parents of young children to set up healthy Australian children. • Not all children have access to newer patterns of media use (balanced with real life technologies, and family income is one experiences) from an early age. The rest are No part of this publication band aids. may be reproduced without barrier

permission of the Editor. • Lower income, Hispanic and African American children consume far more media The “Always Connected” report is available Contributions are welcome. than middle class and white children from: • children appear to shift their digital media http://joanganzcooneycenter.org/Reports- habits aroung age 8 looking beyond TV 28.html ACCM’s services are partially supported by a Going without media is a global problem Researchers and students alike were amazed by grant from the how much media have come to dominate the lives of young people around the world. Students had South Australian A new global study released in April by the International Center for Media & the Public thought of media as just a convenience; a way to Government Agenda (ICMPA) at the University of Maryland communicate with friends and get news. After in the US found that college students around the going without media, they came to recognize that world report that they are ‘addicted’ to media, they literally construct their identities through and vividly described their cravings, anxieties media. Going unplugged, therefore, was like ACCM’s Web Page and and depression when they have to abstain from losing part of themselves. using media. Broadband access The study can be found at are supported by its The World Unplugged study concluded that http://theworldunplugged.wordpress.com/ Internet Service Provider most college students, whether in developed or developing countries, are strikingly similar http://www.newswise.com/articles/new- Internode in how they use media - and how ‘addicted’ university-of-maryland-study-shows-students- they are to it. Student after student spoke about around-the-world-are-addicted-to-media their generation’s utter dependency on media - especially the mobile phone. Publication and “Media is my drug; without it I was lost. I am an It’s tax time & there is still time to printing of small screen addict,” said a student from the UK. A student make a tax deductible donation to

is supported by a from China said: “I can say without exaggeration, donation from I was almost freaking out.” A student from Australian Council on Argentina observed: “Sometimes I felt ‘dead.’ “ Children & the Media The ICMPA study, conducted with the assistance To support us in our campaign for of the Salzburg Academy on Media & Global Change, asked around 1000 students in 10 healthy use of the media go to countries on five continents to give up all media www.childrenandmedia.org.au for 24 hours and record their experiences. Clips ‘n’ Cuts small screen no. 274 April 2011

The Australian April 18 2011 small screen April 2011 p4 small screen April 2011 p5 small screen April 2011 p6 small screen April 2011 p7 NEW PUBLICATIONS

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WORLD NEWS KIDS’ TV

British father fights cyber bullying Club Penguin prides itself on online safety A selection of children’s programs According to Claire Connelly, writing for for kids as well as parental involvement. screened on TV during the period news.com, Dr Paddy Clarke, a pain man- Club Penguin players online can even be- agement consultant from London, has come “Secret Agents,” the club’s version ABC 1 developed the world’s first cyber bullying of a neighborhood-watch program, and Clang Invasion; Being Ian; Classic Tales; alert system for Facebook. “help keep the island safe.” One of its four Piggley Winks; Raymond; Thomas and key rules that members agree to at sign up Friends; Sesame Street; Timmy Time; The app, called ‘Know Diss’ monitors chil- is “Never reveal personal information.” Peppa Pig; Pocoyo; Ellen’s Acres; A Kind dren’s Facebook accounts for hostile or of Magic; Prank Patrol; Old Tom; Word CARU monitors advertising and web sites telltale keywords and phrases. Girl; Play School; Octonauts; Best Ed. directed at children under the age of 13. ABC 2 It seeks voluntary cooperation from the “If any text is picked up that’s suspicious Play School; Wiggly Waffle; Zoo Mix; brand before referring it to the most ap- an email is immediately sent to parents Postman Pat; Franny’s Feet; Waybuloo; propriate federal agency. so they can check it out,” Dr Clarke told Fluffy Gardens; Lunar Jim; Louie; Poko; news.com.au. “It will allow the parents to Virtual worlds and social media, such as Captain Mack; Grandpa in my Pocket; 64 check the context of the bullying text that’s email and online forums, made up a ma- Zoo Lane; Dibo the Gift Dragon; Roary. picked up and they can nip it in the bud if jority of the CARU privacy cases last year. ABC 3 it’s a problem.” Gawayn; Oggy and the Cockroaches; http://adage.com/article/news/caru-re- Sparkel Friends; Monk; Stoked; My Life Know Diss cannot function without the fers-club-penguin-planet-ftc/227380/ as a Popat; BTN Extra; Escape from consent of both parent and child. It is Scorion Island; What do you Know? Jinx; available for a subscription fee from http:// Hollywood lacks role models for girls Around the Twist; Shaolin Wuzang. knowdiss.com/ A new study released by University of SEVEN Southern California researchers shows Larry the Lawnmower; It’s Academic; http://www.news.com.au/technology/dot- that Hollywood continues to be a difficult Saturday Disney; Zeke’s Pad; Toybox. ing-dad-builds-know-diss-the-worlds- place for women to find on- and off-screen NINE first-cyber-bullying-notification-software/ role models. Magical Tales; Kids’ WB; Ben 10; Dennis story-e6frfro0-1226041634095#ixzz1Luk- & Gnasher; . In a survey of the top 100 grossing movies DtJAR TEN from 2008, a ratio of roughly two males to Me and my Monsters; Totally Wild every female was observed. A ratio of al- Rewind; Wurrawhy; Scope; Toasted TV. Children’s fan site referred to FTC most five males to every female was found NICKELODEON In the US the Children’s Advertising Re- in those working behind the camera. view Unit (CARU). has referred the fan Avatar; Penguins of Madagascar; site for the popular Disney kids’ web site Female characters, particularly teens, were Fanboy and Chum Chum; The Fairly Club Penguin to the Federal Trade Com- far more likely than males to be seen in Odd Parents; ICarly; ; Neds mission. sexy clothing or partially naked. Declassified; Domo Run; True Jackson VP; The Troop; Drake and Josh; Instant Smith, S; Chouietti, M (2011) Gender ine- The Penguin Planet site failed to satisfy Star; ; ; quality in cinematic content? A look at females CARU’s requests to post a privacy policy, . on screen & behind-the-camera in top-grossing and also did not implement age screening DISNEY CHANNEL 2008 films and parental consent as requested. Cory in the House; Zeke and Luther; Kick Buttowski; Phineas and Ferb; Wizards of http://annenberg.usc.edu/ Waverly Place; The Suite Life on Deck; The fan site is not owned by Disney and News%20and%20Events/News/~/media/ As the Bell Rings; Good Luck Charlie; not officially affiliated with the company or PDFs/smith_rpt_apr11.ashx the Club Penguin site. Ironically, Disney’s Jonas LA; Shake it Up; Starstruck.