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Adolescents as consumers of restricted media content: empowering adults as mediators
Author(s) -
Thompson Sonya
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
international journal of consumer studies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.775
H-Index - 71
eISSN - 1470-6431
pISSN - 1470-6423
DOI - 10.1046/j.1470-6431.2003.00308_35.x
Subject(s) - context (archaeology) , advertising , government (linguistics) , the internet , social media , consumption (sociology) , digital media , business , psychology , public relations , sociology , political science , geography , computer science , social science , linguistics , philosophy , archaeology , world wide web , law
Children and youth are a dominant consumer force in the media marketplace and restricted media content is part of the near environment of many adolescents, both at home and in their communities. Yet, little attention has been paid to adolescents as consumers of film, video, DVD, Internet, video games, pay per view, satellite and digital cable television content that has been deemed ‘adult’ or restricted content by government and industry regulators. Using a human ecology framework, this research assess what types of restricted media content 13 and 14 years olds are exposed to at home and in the community, how they come to have access to different types of restricted material, how they regulate their own consumption of sexually and violently explicit media content, what they think is appropriate viewing for themselves. The media environment of adolescents is continually changing with the proliferation of new technologies, and restricted content is pervasively and aggressively marketed to adolescents. Market forces, government regulation, parental guidance, and media in its social context determine what children are exposed to. This research investigates the interaction between these forces and their outcomes for adolescents in the province of Alberta, Canada. Adolescents in Alberta have the highest rates of film, video, and DVD viewing in Canada, as well as the highest saturation of Internet in homes. Alberta's system of film classification (age restrictions on film, video, and DVD) is similar to that of most EU countries, providing a context for international comparison. Findings from this research are critical to policy makers, regulatory bodies, media producers, educators, and parents in establishing practices to protect and educate young consumers. Information about Alberta adolescents’ consumption of restricted media content and how they gain access to it will ultimately affect children and youth by informing the societal forces which govern their media use.