Speakers:

Delphine Munos (Ghent University)

Maahenn Ahmed (Ghent University)

Thiago Falcão (Federal University of Paraíba)

Wagner Dornelles (Federal Fluminense University)

Chair: Ariane Holzbach (Universidade Federal Fluminense - Brazil)

 

Description:

The children's universe is undergoing an intense and still poorly understood reconfiguration process in the center of which orbit the uses made by children of media in digital culture. Throughout the world, children's daily practices permeate, to varying degrees, new accesses and manipulations of media (such as computers, smartphones, tablets, streaming platforms and so on), which offer different experiences in the cognitive formation and in the children’s interpretation of the world.

In addition to the complex media consumption made by children, this has changed the relationship of children with Modern institutions that surround them, such as schools, family, and religion, in addition to the insertion of new actors who are often positioned between children and these institutions, such as youtubers, fanfiction and best-selling writers aimed at children, among many others. In this context, some questions demand that we reflect on the fundamental place that children assume in contemporary media culture: what relationship do children have with the media apparatus? What image does the media institute around children representation? What place do Modern institutions occupy in this relationship? What aspects can be foreseen for children (and adults) to fall into a healthier media culture?

Therefore, we propose a debate in search of 1) elements from the past that highlight the cultural and social aspects of children's representation in the media, 2) looks that show the contemporary relationship between media, digital culture and childhood and, finally, 3) some essential views to think about the future of the relationship between children and the media.

About:

Ariane Holzbach (chair) - Professor in Media Studies at Federal Fluminense University (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). Her research is on audio studies, entertainment and audiovisual products aimed at children. She graduated in Journalism, has a PhD and a master degree in Communication and has done a post-doctoral research in History at Rio de Janeiro State University. She is author of A invenção do videoclipe: a história por trás do audiovisual (2016). She is member of the PRINT Project since 2020.

Maahenn Ahmed – Associate professor at Ghent University. She obtained her PhD (with distinction) from Jacobs University Bremen in 2011. Since then, she have held postdoctoral positions at the Université catholique de Louvain (Marie Curie co-fund) and Ghent University (FWO). She often works on contemporary, alternative graphic novels and comics in English and in French. She is author of Openness of Comics: Generating Meaning within Flexible Structures (2016).

Thiago Falcão – Professor of Digital Media Communication Course and Professor of the Graduate Program in Communication at the Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB, Brazil). Holds a PhD in Communication and Contemporary Culture from the Federal University of Bahia and was a PDSE/Capes fellow at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. He has a Post-Doctorate in Film Studies from Anhembi Morumbi University in São Paulo/SP. Currently researches themes regarding politics and entertainment, with special attention to the ties between the Brazilian esports scene and cultural dynamics associated to neoliberalism / late capitalism.

Wagner Dornelles - Graduated in Journalism, has a master degree in Communication at Federal Fluminense University. He is a PhD student at Federal Fluminense (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) and his research is on television studies, entertainment and audiovisual products aimed at children. He is member of the PRINT Project since 2020.