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Designing Media to Encourage Tolerance and Empathy in Youth

Fri, May 25, 9:30 to 10:45, Hilton Old Town, Floor: M, Dvorak I

Session Submission Type: Panel

Abstract

From its earliest days, the children’s television landscape has featured shows teaching tolerance and kindness, beginning with Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. But in an era teeming with daily displays of divisiveness and discrimination by world leaders and other prominent figures, the need to foster inclusive perspectives among youth is greater than ever. Our future peace and productivity depend on a civically-engaged global population that values respecting different voices and experiences and collaborating to solve complex problems. Fortunately, children’s media creators are rising to the challenge, releasing new TV series and interactive media with socio-emotional learning agendas.

It is well documented that media exposure can positively or negatively influence children’s social-emotional attitudes and behavior, and that the content and context of exposure moderates effects (e.g., Mares & Woodard, 2005). Employing research in development cycles helps producers hone the content and contexts resulting in positive outcomes (e.g., Fisch & Truglio, 2000). But what does this process look like in practice? How do producers know that new properties will have desired effects on young viewers and users?

This multi-sector panel features speakers who are conducting and/or applying research to design media encouraging children’s and adolescents’ empathy, tolerance, and inclusivity. The six presentations describe research and media products that target diverse audiences, include varying media platforms, and employ different research methodologies.

Presentation 1 describes formative research informing Sesame Street’s 47th season, which aimed to encourage kindness among preschoolers. Presentation 2 reports findings and insights from longitudinal research testing the effects of interactive games targeting empathy and tolerance among US children. Presentation 3 discusses formative research behind Me, an app encouraging 7–12-year-old children’s empathy and self-awareness. Presentation 4 describes findings from a US sample of 10–13-year-olds to inform a revitalized Free To Be television program, which will give voice to children of varying backgrounds. Presentation 5 relays pedagogical foundations of 1001 Nights, an international television program promoting citizenship education and socioemotional skills, and findings from impact research with school-age refugee children. Finally, presentation 6 describes the development and efficacy of two television programs fostering inclusivity, empathy, and self-efficacy among East African teenagers.

The six presentations will address unique challenges these projects have faced in designing media that are developmentally appropriate, culturally sensitive, and topically relevant for their target audiences. Speakers will share insights and strategies for creating research-based media content for youth that can deliver on their promises of cultivating kind and tolerant individuals.

This is a CAM Panel Submission in which members of the CAM community were invited to submit their own panel. This was competitively reviewed and selected by the CAM Panel Reviewer Committee. In addition, this is a "Planner's Pick" givens its thematic connections with the CAM 2017 preconference (#inventintervent).

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