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Background: Children's online media perpetuates appearance idealised images and can negatively impact the way children feel about their own and other people's bodies (e.g., weight bias) at a young age. The development and evaluation of body image interventions for young children to counteract this, are scarce. There is a need for prevention efforts to nurture the development of positive body image among this group to help mitigate potential body image concerns in later childhood. Media-based approaches promoting positive body image messages have shown preliminary efficacy. In collaboration with industry partners, we have developed two positive body image media micro-interventions (a 15-minute episode and a music video) to be evaluated in a fully powered RCT. Methods: We aim to recruit 440 children between the ages of 4 and 6 years to be randomised into one of four conditions: (i) 15-minute episode intervention, (ii) 15-minute episode control, (iii) 3-minute music video intervention, or (iv) 3-minute music video control. This study will be conducted face-to-face, whereby children and a parent attend a media screening session and children complete pre-and post-intervention measures of positive body image and weight bias. Both the child and parent will watch their assigned media, together on a tablet device. Due to their age, children will complete outcome measures with a trained moderator in a play-based interview pre-intervention (T1), immediately post-intervention (T2) and one-week follow up (T3). A corresponding parent will complete a questionnaire on intervention acceptability at T2, and re-watch of their assigned media at T3. The primary outcome will be the change in body appreciation, and secondary outcomes include change in functionality appreciation and weight bias. Exploratory analyses will determine any effect of gender (girls vs. boys), year group (reception vs. year 1) dosage or delayed effects. Moderator fidelity will be also assessed. Discussion: This study will evaluate two positive body image micro-interventions among children 4–6 years old. These interventions have the potential to bolster children's positive body image and reduce weight bias. A dissemination plan is in place with project stakeholders such that the interventions can reach millions of children worldwide. Trial registration: The trial is registered with Clinical Trial.gov, Ref number: NCT06146647. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toy‐tied media (TTM) are promotional vehicles for toys and other merchandise depicting featured characters. Across two studies, this research finds significant differences in plot themes and the frequency and types of foods present in TTM based on target gender. Study 1 uses content analysis to understand how foods (especially sweets) are utilized to show nurturance and domesticity in girls' TTM while a focus on violence in boys' TTM minimizes the plot relevance of food. Study 2 uses automated text analysis on 1041 h of TTM transcripts to quantify the occurrence of select food categories and themes. Study 2 finds that sweets occur eight times more frequently in girls' TTM than in boys' TTM and that sweets occur five times more frequently in TTM rated appropriate for viewers six and under compared to TTM rated for older viewers. The findings suggest the need for intervention and potential interventions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Nightmare Before Christmas ' director, Henry Selick, tells us that watching the film should be like opening a pop-up book. Clean-cut silhouettes, fingerprints and grooves, hidden surprises, and playful subversiveness are as integral to Nightmare 's production design as they are typical of the pop-up book form. In this article, I will examine this symmetry and discuss how Selick's vision of a living illustration connects to the range of paper-engineered transmedia toys, books, and seasonal tokens that the film inspired. An early example is A Super Pop-Up (1993)—a charming gift book which positions the reader as a pseudo-stop-motion-animator, bending over doublespread dioramas to slide paper-cut characters into position. More recently, Reinhart's elaborate Petrifying Pop-Up for the Holidays (2018) showcases several contemporary devices that re-create specific filmic shots. Other notable Disney-endorsed merchandise includes a Pop-Up Advent Calendar (2019), featuring an impressively tall Gothmas-esque tree, and elegant pop-up Halloween and Valentine's cards produced by Hallmark and Lovepop. Each item treads the line between spirited plaything and fragile ornament, theatrical spectacle, and interactive artwork—a blurring of binaries that echoes the experimental artistry of Nightmare and continues to delight both young fans and adult collectors. Perhaps unsurprisingly, creative fans also appreciate Nightmare 's suitability for paper-craft, sharing printable DIY templates and paper-cut fan-art. I will demonstrate how the Victorian flavour of Nightmare , the affordances of stop-motion, and the film's stylistic and branding choices combine to emulate and elevate the nostalgic practice of 'making Christmas' from the humblest of materials—paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) technologies are rapidly developing, having a significant impact on various spheres of society and opening up new opportunities for progress in healthcare, education, environmental protection and other areas. Objective. Analysis of the potential of Artificial Intelligence for use in childhood education and media. The author seeks to identify the benefits and risks associated with the use of these technologies in working with children, as well as to develop recommendations for the effective use of Artificial Intelligence for educational purposes. Results. The article uses an approach to the study of specific cases, analyzes the “Zoe and Olly” initiative, created by media company Kids AI, aimed at improving children’s literacy in the field of Artificial Intelligence. The program uses interactive storytelling and hands-on exercises to explain basic AI concepts such as machine learning, natural language processing, and computer vision. The characters Zoe and Olly make learning interesting and accessible for children, developing their curiosity and positive attitude towards technology. The project promotes the development of critical thinking in children, allowing them to evaluate information and results generated by AI systems. This is especially important as children grow up in an environment heavily influenced by Artificial Intelligence. Conclusions. Advances in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning have significantly changed childhood education and media. Artificial Intelligence offers inclusive and personalized learning experiences, making education more accessible and interesting.

This article explores how young people – specifically teenagers between thirteen and nineteen years of age – choose to use the digital video-sharing app TikTok. A framework is proposed that moves away from discourses of media panic and toward understandings of media practice, analysing two videos created by teenagers to develop a vocabulary for identifying the diverse and nuanced ways in which young people negotiate their social lives through the use of TikTok. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research suggests that the portrayal of male and female protagonists in Disney animations may be changing over time. The current study examined the portrayal of gendered behaviors displayed within some of Disney's most successful animated feature length films, including those beyond the Disney princess franchise. Extending the scope of the Disney animated films analyzed was important because both young girls and young boys report little personal interest in male characters within the Disney princess animations. This suggests that it is important to look beyond the Disney princess franchise to understand the gendered behaviors displayed by potentially influential male Disney protagonists. The current study also considered a greater number of masculine and feminine behaviors as well as some gender-neutral traits which had yet to be incorporated. A quantitative content analysis of 39 Disney protagonists from films released between 1937 and 2021 was conducted. The results revealed that male and female protagonists were statistically higher in feminine than masculine traits. Female protagonists from the earliest animations were the most feminine. However, there was no statistical difference in the gendered portrayals of females in the animations released in the 1990s and those released from 2009 to 2021 suggesting some continued stereotyping in females' profiles. Alternatively, male characters were more feminine relatively consistently across time-points. This study concludes that Disney is persistently portraying stereotyped female protagonists, and this could have implications on young females' behavioral profiles. However, the extent to which feminine traits are being celebrated when displayed bymale protagonists needs to be examined, as well as the potential relationship between such messages and boys' behaviors and children's conceptualizations of gender more broadly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses corresponding scenes from the Harry Potter books and films to assess how the character of Hermione Granger, one of the three protagonists in the Harry Potter universe, changed through the adaptation process from book to film. Our analysis uncovered three interrelated themes. The theme Emotional Hermione shows that the emotions displayed by Hermione shift from more feminine-coded in the books to more masculine-coded in the films. In the process, she becomes a more powerful and independent character. This is also the case in the theme Girl Power, which is not present in the books but appears in the films from the third instalment onwards. Hermione is awarded more opportunity in the films to display both her intellectual and physical strengths. Through the Reallocation of Lines she also becomes a more fully-fledged character. As she takes lines in the films that were allocated to Harry and Ron in the books, Hermione gains more of a voice, even though this voice is not authentically hers. These changes arguably occurred as the Hermione from the books was not seen as an appropriate representation of a girl in postfeminist Hollywood at a time where Girl Power had just gained ascendance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The present study, exploring media exposure of preschool age children using media diaries had three major goals. First goal was to examine whether there was a relationship between the duration of children’s media use and their prosocial and aggressive behavior. Then, the second goal was to explore links between the content of media they use and children’s prosocial and aggressive behavior. Finally, informed by Displacement theory, we focused on exploring whether the time spent for developmentally enriching activities changed based on the time spent for media use. Parents of 52 preschool age children between the ages of 4 and 6 reported on their children’s media use on a media diary filled out throughout a weekend and the teachers assessed the prosocial and aggressive behaviors of the same children. The results showed that the aggressive behavior of the children increased as their time spent for playing video games increased. Also, the time they spent for engaging developmentally enriching activities decreased as the time they spent for playing video games increased. The results of the study contributed to the field as it provided an in-depth exploration of factors associated with media use habits of children at home using media diaries providing duration, content and context of media use and their relationship to children’s prosocial and aggressive behaviors.

Scholars have consistently explored Barbie in various contexts, often subjecting it to critical analysis. However, the release of the Barbie 2023 Movie has shifted our focus from Barbie to Ken, marking the first occasion when Barbie has provided a platform for exploring representations of masculinity both in the patriarchal society and in popular culture. This article aims to investigate how the 2023 Barbie movie deconstructs symbols of hegemonic and toxic masculinity and its performative aspects within the framework of (post)feminist discourse. It examines how the movie satirically employs symbols of traditional, hegemonic masculinity to challenge normative masculine ideals prevalent in our patriarchal society. The movie -through its popularity- significantly contributes to mainstream postfeminist media culture, creating a platform where discussions on masculinity, its associated crises, and the broader gender wars, along with their existential ramifications, become unavoidable. Exploring the ways masculinities are problematized and contested within postfeminist media culture, I argue that Ken, within this narrative, is positioned as the latest icon of postfeminist masculinity, symbolizing a critical juncture in the ongoing discourse on gender roles and identities.

An abundance of previous research has investigated how gender has been portrayed within feature length films produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, particularly those within the Disney princess franchise. However, the Disney corporation acquired the Marvel and Star Wars franchises in 2009 and 2012, respectively, which was likely a strategy for the corporation to obtain characters that would capture the imagination of boys and men. The current qualitative study explored how gender is portrayed by leading protagonists in these texts, utilising thematic analysis, which was necessary considering little is currently known in this domain. The researchers analysed series one of Avengers Assemble and series one of Star Wars Rebels. Interpretation of the data led to the development of several themes and subthemes based on the gendered portrayals within each series. Overall, the findings suggest that there was more overt gender stereotyping in Avengers Assemble when compared with Star Wars Rebels, meaning that the former could be particularly problematic for children who may replicate its messages. The current study has facilitated a greater understanding of the gendered messages that may be consumed by children who engage with Marvel and Star Wars media. Future research is needed to assess the relationship between such messages and children's behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a world plagued by plastic pollution (among other environmental threats), children's stories dedicated to the positive role of plastic toys in children's lives ought to be categorized as out of touch at best and immoral at worst. Disney's Toy Story franchise, however, remains as popular as ever, with the fourth installment released in 2019 netting a slew of nominations and awards, including the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. This paper examines the merits of Toy Story 4 as a posthumanist text that productively co-exists alongside and enters into dialogue with environmental critiques of plastic trash. I draw on Karen Barad's new materialist theory of agential realism to reframe what is inherently a pro-plastic narrative into one that exemplifies the necessity of becoming comfortable with trash, with being lost, and with different approaches to reproduction, if, as Donna Haraway suggests, we are to stay with the trouble of irreversible plastic pollution that defines our Anthropocenic era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since late 2017, journalists, advocacy groups, and policy-makers have expressed serious concerns about popular genres of video content on YouTube that target child viewers but which are not child-appropriate according to extant definitions and cultural expectations. This article combines a discourse and thematic analysis of 54 news articles and opinion pieces about 'disturbing' children's genres on YouTube with textual analysis of the two genres at the centre of this reportage. The analysis illuminates why the formal, aesthetic, and thematic qualities of these particular child-oriented YouTube genres trouble existing cultural expectations around children's media. I argue that the genres addressed in the reportage share a key quality that I refer to as the 'algorithmic uncanny': common semantic and syntactic features that foster among reporters a perception that algorithms have played a key role in not only distributing the content but in shaping its aesthetic and thematic agendas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Netflix's She-Ra (2018) is an example of how nostalgia-based children's culture uses speculative fiction to reimagine the past while commenting on the present. The new She-Ra papers over shortcomings in the original show, rewriting adults' memories of the character. She-Ra , and shows like it, allow adults to experience nostalgia for childhood media and toys by rewriting potentially unpleasant aspects of these thirty-year-old narratives. Though She-Ra uses characters and imagery familiar to parents, the show changes fundamental elements of the original to reflect contemporary social justice concerns, using its science-fiction elements to access political commentary including environmental degradation and coalition building. I will read the television show alongside recently released merchandise which depicts both the new and the 1985 versions of the character. Accessing the new and original versions of the character allows parents to both connect to contemporary children's programming and reimagine their own childhoods through a contemporary social justice lens. As major producers of children's culture such as Disney and Netflix embrace the nostalgia trend, scholars should pay careful attention to how these remakes as well as their marketing campaigns treat the source material. Even if the updated films and television shows are more self-aware, nostalgia-based marketing may allow adults to uncritically embrace and endorse the original content of works created in the 1980s that treat issues of race, gender, and sexuality in ways that are inconsistent with current cultural norms. She-Ra and the Princesses of Power argues against this embrace of nostalgic forms, even while using nostalgia to draw in a millennial audience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study, exploring media exposure of preschool age children using media diaries had three major goals. First goal was to examine whether there was a relationship between the duration of children's media use and their prosocial and aggressive behavior. Then, the second goal was to explore links between the content of media they use and children's prosocial and aggressive behavior. Finally, informed by displacement theory, we focused on exploring whether the time spent for developmentally enriching activities changed based on the time spent for media use. Parents of 52 preschool age children between the ages of 4 and 6 reported on their children's media use on a media diary filled out throughout a weekend and the teachers assessed the prosocial and aggressive behaviors of the same children. Findings showed that there is a positive correlation between the levels of aggressive behavior and the time spent for playing video games increased. Additionally, as displacement theory suggested, when children spent more time on video games, time they spent for engaging developmentally enriching activities decreased. The results of the study contributed to the field as it provided an in-depth exploration of factors associated with media use habits of children at home using media diaries providing duration, content and context of media use and their relationship to children's prosocial and aggressive behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An abundance of previous research has investigated how gender has been portrayed within feature length films produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, particularly those within the Disney princess franchise. However, the Disney corporation acquired the Marvel and Star Wars franchises in 2009 and 2012, respectively, which was likely a strategy for the corporation to obtain characters that would capture the imagination of boys and men. The current qualitative study explored how gender is portrayed by leading protagonists in these texts, utilising thematic analysis, which was necessary considering little is currently known in this domain. The researchers analysed series one of Avengers Assemble and series one of Star Wars Rebels. Interpretation of the data led to the development of several themes and subthemes based on the gendered portrayals within each series. Overall, the findings suggest that there was more overt gender stereotyping in Avengers Assemble when compared with Star Wars Rebels, meaning that the former could be particularly problematic for children who may replicate its messages. The current study has facilitated a greater understanding of the gendered messages that may be consumed by children who engage with Marvel and Star Wars media. Future research is needed to assess the relationship between such messages and children’s behaviour.

This commentary article focuses on the representation of refugee characters and experiences in children's media in the US context. While increased attention is being paid to improving diversity and representation across various social groups, refugee voices remain invisible in the children's media industry and academia. The article discusses the importance of improved refugee representation and how it can benefit refugee and local children. It highlights the considerations for creating children's media content, such as intersectionality, developmental sensitivity, and stereotypes. It brings media examples and shares good practices for content creators who want to work towards improving refugee representation. Finally, the article emphasizes the importance of bringing children's voices into content creation for changing and improving existing media narratives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guided by previous work investigating media as a socializing agent for individuals' expectations about gender roles in society and the model of intuitive motivation and exemplars, the present study investigated the extent to which television programing recommended as socially educational by Common Sense Media depicts male and female characters with certain altruistic (i.e., other-focused) and egoistic (i.e., self-focused) motivations for behavior. Specifically, the current study content analyzed 147 children's television episodes to assess whether main characters were (a) male or female and (b) primarily motivated by one of 11 altruistic or egoistic motivations. Results revealed that (1) main male characters exemplified authority, security, and hedonism most often, whereas main female characters exemplified care, autonomy, and relatedness most often, (2) programming recommended for boys featured more portrayals of the authority and security motivations, whereas programming recommended for girls featured comparatively more portrayals of care, fairness, autonomy, and relatedness, and (3) main characters across socially-educational television programs were more likely to be women/girls than men/boys. Results are discussed in terms of their potential for gendered motivations emphasized in popular entertainment media to shed light on (a) how motivations for different genders are valued by content curators and (b) what motivations male or female audiences of this content would be expected to value after viewing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study, based on interpretative phenomenological methodology, examines the influence Disney media and merchandise may have on children's understandings of gender. Although there are various studies in this area, most focus on the Disney Princesses' effects on girls' gender development and few directly elicit the views of both girls and boys (Golden and Jacoby 2018). The current study attempts to address this gap by investigating how girls and boys, aged five to eight years, interpret messages circulated by Disney to make sense of the gendered norms and roles of its characters. Participatory visual methods used were a draw and talk exercise and an image-values line activity. Critical discourse analysis identified two key gender discourses: physical appearance and gendered behaviours, with children's exclusionary binary opinions core to both. However, both boys and girls valued the more active traits portrayed by the contemporary princesses. Through adopting a feminist poststructuralist lens, this study contributes to the existing body of knowledge that informs of ways to deconstruct stereotypes with children to promote positive gender development in childhood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Back‐and‐forth conversations with others are vital for children's development in the early years. While children's conversation partners have traditionally been their parents, teachers, and peers, recent advances in artificial intelligence have led to the introduction of machines that understand human speech and generate natural responses, and thus can engage children in conversations. As these technologies become increasingly ubiquitous in children's lives, questions arise as to how they might affect children's development: How do children interact with, perceive, and learn from conversational technologies? Can these technologies serve as children's social partners? In this article, I detail what we know about these topics and discuss the possible implications of conversational technologies for children's shifting media landscape. I also suggest research agendas that can unpack the complex interplay among children, their social contexts, and conversational technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crisis communication in a pandemic is challenging for parents, who have to explain risks and prevention measures to their children without transferring their own worries. Studies about crises indicate, that inappropriate crisis communication with children can ignite fears, worries, and even trauma among them. Recommended parental communication strategies in such situations are: (1) to consider developmental level to ensure comprehensibility; (2) to address age-related concerns; and (3) to use naturally occurring situations to talk about the crisis. However, the application of such strategies during a world-wide crisis is not known yet. Thus, we analyzed how parents explained their children the COVID-19 pandemic, which media they used, and which situations they employed. Following a mixed-method approach, semi-structured interviews (n = 55) and an online survey (n = 146) were conducted with parents in Germany. We identified three types of parental crisis communication (use of children-specific media, co-use of adult media, personal talk), found differences due to the developmental stage of the children, and recognized how parents used daily life activities for crisis talk. In sum, parents mostly employed forms of crisis communication recommended by experts, although they were sometimes hindered by the high burdens of their own emotional and organizational challenges.

Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood was a show that focused on teaching children an ethics of caring for oneself and care for others. This article examines those ethics through the songs “I Like You As You Are” and “Won’t You Be My Neighbor.” It contends that these songs focus on a celebration of the self and others, welcoming individuals as they are into the community, and embracing authenticity. This article looks to understand these ethics in a contemporary setting and argues that Mister Rogers and the communal ethics of care that he taught are needed.

Although the potential to shape neurotypical children's perceptions of those with a disability has been documented, there is little evidence exploring the impact that publicly accessible media, such as an animated children's television show, may have on young children's perceptions of those with autism. Over two phases of testing, 113 children (ages 5–8) viewed a new episode from Hero Elementary, an animated television show featuring a child superhero with autism, and participated in a focus group afterwards. The qualitative findings from these exploratory sessions demonstrated that most children in our study had little or no exposure to autism prior to viewing the episode, and that those who had prior exposure had inaccurate or negative perceptions of autism. Moreover, the study revealed that after viewing the episode, children with an understanding of autism increased, and children generally viewed autism as a positive quality of the character. These results hold implications for developers of media to understand the potential impact developmentally appropriate media representation can have on children's understanding and perceptions of others with disabilities. Areas of future research are offered in the discussion. Prior State of Knowledge: While interventions for developing neurotypical children's perceptions of neuroatypical children are promising, it is unclear what delivery of exposure may be effective. There is little evidence indicating whether an animated show could feasibly change children's perceptions of those with autism. Novel Contributions: Young neurotypical children have little to no exposure to autism. After viewing an episode featuring an animated character with autism, children had an understanding of autism and children generally viewed autism as a positive quality of the character. Practical Implications: These findings hold implications for developers of children's media. It sheds powerful light on the potential impact developmentally appropriate media representation can have on children's understanding and perceptions of others with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In contemporary academic contexts, the ‘Rape of Persephone’ myth is a source of insight into the powerlessness of women in patriarchal, Greco-Roman society. In popular culture, however, the myth has found a surprising second life amongst children’s media as the story of two unlikely, star-crossed lovers. Instead of simply rephrasing the myth as it is found in ancient sources, some Western authors and artists have changed the myth’s plot and characterization of Hades and Persephone in order to transform this rape myth into a love story. In this paper, I explore the ways in which each adaptation deviates from the source material and reveals contemporary views of gender politics. On the one hand, there are some adaptations in which the ‘Rape of Persephone’ is altered just enough to be deemed appropriate for children. On the other hand, there are retellings in which the changes appear to not simply censor the myth, but to subvert the sexism inherent in the myth itself. I argue that this latter phenomenon is an act of feminist resistance against centuries of reception to the Classical myths that perpetuate the sexist gender constructs of ancient society. Ultimately, I believe these adaptations will draw young audiences to study Classical mythology and will also open up new discussions of Classical material and the ways it is received by modern society.

This paper examines depictions of SES in Disney animated films to learn about the stereotypes of different socioeconomic status (SES) groups that these films reinforce or dispel. As Disney films are frequently watched by children, and may have important developmental implications for the internalization of stereotypes. Sixty-one animated Disney films were coded f (323 characters). Characters were coded for their SES and various roles and behaviors. Results suggest low SES characters are underrepresented compared to the US population, and that Disney's portrayal of SES both reinforces and contradicts stereotypes. Prior State of Knowledge: Socioeconomic status is a significant factor in children's development. As Disney media is often watched by children, the stereotypes of SES in Disney films are important to understand. Novel Contributions: Overall, this research indicates that low SES characters are underrepresented compared to the general US population and are more often racial minorities than mid and high SES characters. Few other characteristics examined, however, were significantly different based on SES. Practical Implications: Parents should be aware of and discuss the racial differences in socioeconomic status in Disney films with children. Furthermore, future research should examine the effect of depictions of socioeconomic status in children's media on children's stereotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People harbor unique biases about the relative influence of popular media on themselves compared to others. Broadly, they expect others to experience greater harm from exposure to negative depictions (e.g., violent content) and to derive fewer benefits from exposure to positive depictions (e.g., educational content). The current experiment examined if these biases impact how parents monitor their children's television exposure, specifically programs about same-sex attraction. Parents (N = 702) watched a cartoon about a young girl who expresses romantic interest in another girl. Although biases emerged with regard to parents' beliefs that this content would harm or benefit their own (vs. other) children, these biases did not influence their monitoring intentions. Instead, parents with conservative (vs. liberal) attitudes perceived the show as more threatening and less valuable for all children, which enhanced their desire to criticize, restrict, and censor that content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Critics and audiences applauded Disney's Zootopia (2016) as a new brand of politically-conscious, pedagogical children's media but uniformly read it as a critique of sexism and racism. This article examines the disability politics of speed, capacity and mobility to illuminate "capacity feminism:" the metaphorical rendering of feminist empowerment through ableist norms of embodiment and movement. By showing how Zootopia racializes (white) feminist determination as physical strength and ability at the same time that it aligns psychiatric disabilities with racialized, biologized criminality ("going savage"), this article shows how the film uses the presumed political neutrality of disability as an invisible platform for its rehabilitative narrative of the police and its anti-government politics. Emerging within the context of an intensification of Black Lives Matter (BLM) and Americans Disabled Attendant Programs Today (ADAPT) activisms, Zootopia shows how seemingly disparate discourses of expansive universal design (UD) and restrictive criminal justice are mutually reinforcing, ensuring mobility for some through the immobilization of Others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This Provocations article reviews some key moments in the history of Children's BBC, now, since 2019, combined with Education. It refers to important and occasionally controversial programmes, such as Grange Hill, Newsround and Horrible Histories and draws on recent interviews with former head of Children's, Anna Home, current head of Children's In-house Production, Helen Bullough, and former head of Children's Digital, and Director of the campaigning group Children's Media Foundation, Greg Childs. All are asked why children's programming matters and the article discusses their answers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the merger of Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios, Disney has been lauded for creating more progressive content that includes representations of main characters from diverse backgrounds. However, progressive representations of disability (both physical and mental disability) have been slow to emerge in most mediums. The objective of this research is to examine whether portrayals of illness and disability in recent animated feature films produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios or Pixar Animation Studios depict progressive (or multicultural) narratives of disability versus traditional narratives of disability. We analyzed 20 of the most recent (i.e., 2008-2018) animated films from both studios with 9 films from Walt Disney Animation and 11 films from Pixar Animation Studios. Using thematic content analysis, a combination of pre-identified and emergent disability- and illness-related themes are described. Overwhelmingly, disability portrayals were traditional, with disability used to elicit pity or humor from the viewer and to indicate that characters were evil or old. Out of the 20 films, few progressive portrayals of disability were observed. Although Disney has been lauded for being more inclusive in their representations of characters, disability representations continue to perpetuate and reaffirm the stigmatization of disability.

"Creepypasta," short works of original horror fiction and frightening images created primarily by amateurs and shared in online communities of like-minded readers and writers, use the language of horror to encode and offer commentary on issues of contemporary concern. A close reading of an exemplary text, "Candle Cove," demonstrates how this and other similarly themed creepypasta represent vernacular contributions to discussions of young people's interactions with mass media that reflect a popular interest in both securing and disrupting the figure of the child constructed in media discourse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few studies to date have examined Indigenous characters in children's media. Stereotyping or omission of underrepresented groups contributes to symbolic annihilation of underrepresented groups, such as Indigenous persons. Through a qualitative textual design, the researcher explored how Western-Hemisphere Indigenous masculinity was framed in five Disney animated films. While Indigenous characters were positively portrayed, the researcher found displays of stereotypes, and an absence of character growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the role of media as a context for ethnic socialization in Mexican-heritage families. We studied whether and how Mexican-heritage parents used the Disney film Coco as a springboard to talk with their children about important cultural traditions, values, and practices. Participants included 23 parent-child dyads. Children were in kindergarten through fifth grade. Parents and children completed quantitative ethnic identity surveys individually, watched the movie together, and were interviewed individually about their experiences with and conversations about the film. Results showed that ethnic identity, ethnic socialization, and orientation toward Mexican or American media were associated with parent-child conversations and experiences with Coco. Participants' who scored high on ethnic identity and socialization scales discussed nuanced ways in which the cultural representation in Coco related to their own cultural practices and experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers have demonstrated how the image of the Chinese child has shifted from that of a political messenger in the socialist period to that of a consumer with rights in the reform era. Using the concept of the guai ("good") child, this article expands on these understandings of the Chinese child by examining the tensions a divided self faces between balancing individual desires and societal expectations in the 21st century. Through a close semiotic analysis of the blockbuster Chinese animated film Ne Zha: Birth of the Demon Child (2019), we argue that the child characters Ne Zha and Ao Bing represent a new, multi-layered Chinese individual. This ideal contemporary Chinese child is an agentive critical thinker who resists traditional expectations and takes control of their future instead of blindly obeying adult authority. These characters are simultaneously individualistic and collectivist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Pain (eg, needle injections, injuries, and chronic pain) is highly prevalent in childhood and occurs in social contexts. Nevertheless, broader sociocultural influences on pediatric pain, such as popular media, have not been empirically examined. This study examined how pain is portrayed and gendered in children's popular media. A cross-section of children's media targeted towards 4- to 6-year-old children was selected based on popularity, including 10 movies and the first season of 6 television shows. Pain instances were extracted and coded using 2 established observational coding systems assessing sufferer pain characteristics and observer responses (eg, empathic responses). Findings identified 454 instances of pain across the selected media. Violent pain (ie, intentionally inflicted) and injuries were most commonly represented, whereas everyday, chronic-type, and procedural pains were infrequently portrayed. Pain instances were more commonly experienced by boy characters, who also expressed greater distress; yet, observers were more responsive (eg, expressed greater concern) towards girl characters' pain. Overall, observer responses to pain were infrequent, with observers witnessing but not responding to nearly half of pain instances. Observers who did respond expressed an overall lack of empathy towards sufferers. These findings reveal a very narrow depiction of pain presented in children's popular media, with an overall underrepresentation of pain, numerous maladaptive portrayals of pain, and gender differences in both sufferer and observer responses. This study underscores the need for further research to inform how children's popular media is perceived by parents and children and how media may be transformed and harnessed for effective pain education in childhood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]