All About the Blog

The world order of child and youth media has traditionally been one in which adults create the media content that is then selected and consumed by young people and their families. Much of the debate surrounding children's media concerns the author's responsibility to produce moral, educational, and healthy media messages, which are believed to have varying levels of influence on childhood development and socialization processes. Less attention is paid to the cultural content and artifacts that children themselves create and communicate. This participatory aspect of children's culture is becoming increasingly prominent, however, through the expansion of information and communication technologies (ICTs) and, more specifically, the Internet. Youth-created websites, chatrooms and weblogs make up a significant component of children and teens' on-line experiences, and as more young people gain access to the necessary tools and skills, their presence will only continue to exert itself in the new media landscape.