The video also considers the effect of television on the imagination of children, the kinds of messages about violence and gender identity that kids receive from television, and the sorts of activities children are not doing while they are glued to the tube. As an alternative to sexist and violent toys, narrator David Suzuki suggests that the world of nature offers a myriad of possibilities for gender-free exploration. The video provides young people with an activist role model in the person of Virginie Lariviere and assures parents that the responsibility for monitoring children's exposure to media violence does not rest solely with them. The program is a convenient length for sparking discussion at parent meetings. Unlike some other videos on this subject, The Unintentional Experiment does not oversimplify the complexity of these issues.
Reference is made to actual research findings and parents and children voice their opinions.
Good material and a good length for media awareness workshops with parents. Unfortunately, no parents appear on screen. The video also provides clips from games that children now play, and some interesting statistics eg. The production values are a bit uneven, but the information is pertinent and will certainly help spark discussion, particularly among parent groups and media awareness advocates. It defines media literacy and the components involved in teaching it.