Institute Faculty Six years ago, Wheelock College developed a week-long Media Institute to address the effects of media violence on our children, youth and society in general. Now in its seventh year, this Institute analyzes, from a critical perspective, the role that media violence plays in shaping social norms, values and ideologies that legitimize violence in the playground, in the home, and in the broader society. The main topic of focus is how adults can respond to the barrage of violent images by educating themselves to the complex effects of media produced violence. To this end, participants will learn to develop broad-based media literacy curricula and to integrate conflict resolution into everyday life and classrooms. The Institute provides a forum where we can work together to positively affect the media's role in shaping our children's development, behavior and learning as well as the nature of society.
Children spend more time in front of a TV screen than in school.
By the time they turn 18, they have witnessed more than 100,000 violent acts and 300,000 commercials. The majority of toys are linked to TV programs and movies, many of which are violent. From Columbine to Santee, we are witnessing an increase in deadly behavior in our schools. The US Surgeon General and such professional groups as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychological Association have issued recent research reports concluding that media violence contributes to youth violence. Emotional immaturity, difficulty communicating, violent behavior, rampant consumerism, low self-esteem and poor academic skills have been associated with television viewing.