Early Media: Recurrent Patterns in Controversy and Research

Debates surrounding the introduction of earlier media have highlighted the novel attributes of each technology, but the promises and concerns have been fundamentally similar. In general, proponents of media innovation argue that the new technology benefits children by opening up new worlds to them, while opponents argue that new media might be used to substitute for real life in learning ethical principles, undermining children's morality and causing them to engage in illicit sexual and criminal behavior.³ Research on children and media also has followed a recurrent pattern, reflecting the shifting focus of public concerns. In each case, initial studies have tended to examine which demographic groups of children were gaining access most quickly, how much time they spent with the new technology, and their preferences for different genres or types of use. Then, as the technology became more pervasive, research has tended to shift toward a greater emphasis on how the content of media exposure may be affecting children.¹ In fact, the overwhelming similarity in the research studies from epoch to epoch—across movies, radio, and television—is quite striking.

Children and Movies

When films were first introduced into American society in the early 1900s, proponents described them not only as a form of entertainment, but as “a means for education, a business, an adjunct to the stage, a resource for religion, and a great new social force.”⁴ Through film, they argued, people could see for themselves “the majestic tumult of Niagara . . . a locomotive with rods and wheels in full swing of motion . . . and the animated presence of far-off peoples.”⁵ Meanwhile, opponents soon labeled movies as immoral for exposing children to scenes of violence and debauchery. They argued that movies were the cause of crime, delinquency, and sexual misconduct among teens.³

Early studies about children and the movies cataloged their attendance and the type of pictures that appealed to them.¹ One noted study conducted in 1929 documented in great detail the moviegoing habits of 10,052 children in the Chicago area. The study's author found that nearly all the children attended the movies and that they were often exposed to screen experiences far beyond their years.⁶ Concerns over movie content soon gave rise to calls for censorship and for restricting the distribution of films that might “corrupt the morals of children or adults or incite to crime.”⁷ By 1931, some 40 national religious and educational groups had adopted resolutions calling for federal regulation of motion pictures.³ The film industry responded by embarking on a public relations campaign promising better pictures and admonishing parents to supervise their children's trips to the movie theater.