Let’s Watch Together: A Closer Look at Content for Intergenerational Appeal

• In Event: Children, Adolescents, & the Media Division - Research Escalator Sessions (Panel 2)

Abstract

This paper is based on implications of an ethnographic study with Latino families, in which a desire for joint media engagement was expressed as well as a disappointment in the lack of content that both parents and children enjoy. Phase one includes a large-scale survey that aims to discover which TV shows and movies parents and children watch together, why they like to engage with these particular media, and what it is about those media that effectively ignite the interests of both parents and children. Phase two will be a content analysis of the most popular or interesting examples of the media that emerge from the survey. The goal is to add to the current understanding of JME in a way that acknowledges the design principles rooted in learning sciences and also helps content creators to gain a better understanding of content characteristics that are beneficial for JME.

Author

• Briana Ellerbe, U of Southern California - Annenberg School for Communication