Genre: Information/Explanation

Now I don't know about you, but when I was a nipper, some thirty or so years ago, the world seemed a far bigger, warmer and more straightforward place than it is now (probably due to the fact I was then much smaller, hardier and less cynical). I'm not normally given over to this sort of nostalgic humbug (nostalgia isn't what it used to be, as Peter De Vries once said) but after looking at Ofcom's data about children's media habits I can't help thinking of my own childhood experiences back in the day when there were only three TV channels and remote control of the goggle box involved hurling a slipper at the on/off switch. As Mark Cuban pointed out in a recent post , we don't live in the world we were born into, and the Ofcom data bring this point home forcefully. It's true that some things remain the same (like the worst warmongering instincts of our politicians, and the fact that an umbrella is essential for anyone holidaying in the UK), and other things are at least recognisable from period to period (thirty years ago a diminished Labour administration was stumbling towards defeat...). But one thing's for sure: communication technology has changed beyond all recognition during the last three decades, and with it the ways we interact with each other, share information and amuse ourselves. My children's experience of the world is undoubtedly different to mine in this respect, and Ofcom's data provide  intriguing evidence of these shifts. For one thing, the figures reported by Ofcom confirm what we know about the prevalence of TV in children's lives, but they also show how diverse their media activity has become (see Figure 2.99). It seems that watching videos/DVDs is a regular activity for around two fifths of children aged 5 to 15, and there is little variation by age group. In contrast, regular internet use rises dramatically with age; fewer than a quarter (22%) of 5-7 year olds use the internet regularly compared with two thirds (66%) of 12-15 year olds. Regular mobile phone use shows an even starker increase, rising from just 4% of 5-7 year olds to 70% of 12-15 year olds. Now consider the data reported in Figure 2.105 (below). Despite the frequency of TV viewing among 5-15 year olds, only around 30% of those at the older end of the age scale (12-15) said of all the media activities available to them they would miss watching TV most of all if it was taken away. Almost as large a proportion of boys in this group (27%) would miss playing computer or video games the most, a proportion that falls to only 3% of girls aged 12-15. Girls of this age were much more likely to miss using their mobile phone, sociable creatures that they are. Note that hardly any children aged 12-15 would miss watching videos or DVDs the most. It must, therefore, be considered a desirable activity rather than an essential one by the 40% who regularly watch DVDs, possibly due to the fact that the fun of DVD viewing is only sustainable if new titles are available, which in turn costs money (or depends on the generosity of others). To economically dependent youngsters, video game titles offering 30+ hours of entertainment and the prospect of competitive fun within the peer group, or the internet's promise of infinite diversion, are probably seen as better value than one-hit wonder DVDs. Within only a few years time these mobile phone wielding, social networking, internet surfing, video game playing children will be chased hard by film marketers and sellers. This makes another compelling reason for the movie business model to migrate online and embrace convergence by offering casual viewers cheap (e.g. free, advertising-supported) online film services to be enjoyed on demand. Only then can the desirable activity of watching movies become an essential part of young people's wired life. Subscribe in a reader Feedback I certainly find your blogs useful and make a point of reposting the link on to all my readers. Peter Knight Mad Cornish Projectionist Thank you for your site and insights: exactly what the world needs! Daniel Vidal, Producer/Writer Ace Films I will certainly recommend your site as a great industry resource. Karen Steele, Development Coordinator Initialize Films BPR has fantastic links, is frequently updated, and is beautifully and very unfussily set out. There is no better website critically examining the commercial and industrial discourses of film; it does what it says on its tin and more. Dr Catherine Grant Film Studies for Free WOW! I just stumbled onto your site today, and I'm truly blown away. What a wealth of great information aggregated in one place! Adam Chapnick President Docworkers.com Very useful indeed to have all those industry links collected in the one location. Thanks for introducing this resource to the academic community. Professor Paul McDonald School of Creative Arts, Film and Media University of Portsmouth