Television, Youth and children in a multi-screen era
Dr. Sigal Barak Brandes
Class 

Today's youth and children move from device to device all day long, without limiting themselves to a single screen for a single task. Hence, they watch television not only in front of the TV set. Furthermore, TV no longer commands their full attention as it has become one of the most common devices that is used simultaneously with other screens. This course will therefore examine television contents uses and supposed effects on youth and children in a multi-screen world.
Television definitely has a good side. It can entertain or educate, and can introduce children to people, places or cultures which they might not otherwise be exposed to. Programs can influence children to change the behavior for the better. However, the reverse can also be true: kids will undoubtedly learn things from TV that are unwanted, and it can have negative consequences for their health and academic performance.
This course will examine the effects of television on the developing child, from infancy through adolescence. The course will address the uniqueness of children and adolescents as audiences, taking into consideration their unique consumption habits and understanding abilities of television content; focusing on content with special implications for young audiences, such as sex, violence, advertising and also discussing television's effects on identity formation. The course will inspect various options for intervention in the television-children dyadic relationship, such as parental mediation and media literacy.