If Kids Could Vote : Children, Democracy, and the Media

Building on previous research and including interviews and surveys of children, this book examines the effect of the media including television, video games, films, books, and text books on children's ideas about democracy as well as the implications that their classroom and media experiences have on their preparation for citizenship.

Preparing children to become citizens of a democracy requires recognition of the different ways in which children learn about politics. Kids in the United States currently spend most of their lives in controlled situations such as schools where the dependency they experience in their homes is reinforced. Besides teachers — books, films, television, and video games influence how children think about democracy. Interviews and surveys of children during three Presidential elections and two non-Presidential years show how some sixth-graders in a Vermont town react to the political issues raised in those elections. Besides presenting the children''s voices, Sugarman also examines some aspects of the media and of the school situation to see how they effect the children''s thinking. Changes that might improve the children''s understanding and knowledge of democracy are also suggested. This book should be of interest to parents, teachers, those involved in media literacy, popular culture, and child development.