Television
Example News Stories
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Rhetoric in Play
There is a definite positive definition of rhetoric in play in the television discourse surrounding children and media. The perception is that media (at least media such as TV, video games, social media, etc.) is bad for children. All the news stories seemed sure that by informing parents what was wrong and providing “tips,” children would be better off, and so too would our future.
- Positive view of rhetoric
- By informing parents, the world will be better
There is a definite positive definition of rhetoric in play in the television discourse surrounding children and media. The perception is that media (at least media such as TV, video games, social media, etc.) is bad for children. All the news stories seemed sure that by informing parents what was wrong and providing “tips,” children would be better off, and so too would our future.
Model of Public Sphere
There was not a clear model of the public sphere, but there seemed to be a leaning towards technocratic. Every news story began with a quantitative study, and used an “expert opinion.” The persuasion of the news stories was built on these "hard and clear" forms of support.
- Slightly technocratic
- Quantitative studies and expert opinions
There was not a clear model of the public sphere, but there seemed to be a leaning towards technocratic. Every news story began with a quantitative study, and used an “expert opinion.” The persuasion of the news stories was built on these "hard and clear" forms of support.
Questionable Words or Phrases
“Commonsense parenting” and “basic parenting” were both often used, implying that monitoring children’s use of media is a no-brainer, but if it were that easy, why is this even a concern?
“When we were young,” “when we were were children,” or something else time related also seemed prevalent throughout. There was a sense this is a problem with contemporary generations, not their predecessors. However, if this is a problem with younger generations, then why are the parents (the older generation) doing a poor job handling it? Again, why is there even an issue?
These were the most common groups of questionable words or phrases, and they seemed to shift the blame away from the media or society itself. The blame is pointed towards parents, who have little to no voice in this form of discourse.
- "Commonsense parenting," "Basic parenting," etc.
- "When we were young," "When were were kids," etc.
“Commonsense parenting” and “basic parenting” were both often used, implying that monitoring children’s use of media is a no-brainer, but if it were that easy, why is this even a concern?
“When we were young,” “when we were were children,” or something else time related also seemed prevalent throughout. There was a sense this is a problem with contemporary generations, not their predecessors. However, if this is a problem with younger generations, then why are the parents (the older generation) doing a poor job handling it? Again, why is there even an issue?
These were the most common groups of questionable words or phrases, and they seemed to shift the blame away from the media or society itself. The blame is pointed towards parents, who have little to no voice in this form of discourse.
Results of a Televised Discussion
Much like Neil Postman warned, the televised discussion of children and media doesn’t offer much depth. For the most part, each news program stopped at a relatively shallow level of putting the blame on parents or the "nature" of the younger generations. The discussions never delved into issues of culture or society, seeking a much more meaningful answer to the question of “why?”.
- Not much depth
- Not asking "why?" beyond issues of parenting
Much like Neil Postman warned, the televised discussion of children and media doesn’t offer much depth. For the most part, each news program stopped at a relatively shallow level of putting the blame on parents or the "nature" of the younger generations. The discussions never delved into issues of culture or society, seeking a much more meaningful answer to the question of “why?”.