Language Practices of the Negotiation around Media Time Use at Home

• In Event: Language, Social Interaction, and the Family

Abstract

This paper examines the discourse of negotiation surrounding children’s media time use. First, when media use is framed as problematic, prioritizing certain activities for the sake of time systematically entails postponing media use. Second, when media use is ratified by parents, it becomes a privilege to be earned. Third, when children are rightfully engaged in media, parents seem to be wary of their children’s ability to turn it off, and try to reinforce moral accountability.

Author

• Elisa Pigeron, University of California, Los Angeles