Comunicar 39-ingles - Revista Comunicar

95Figure 3. Main parts of the Videogames booklet.reference to the need for digital literacy and the importanceof family and peer mediation, considering socialnetworks as potential means of participation and citizenship.Figure 4 presents the main parts of this book -let.The booklets are aimed at a wide age range. Thetelevision booklet is primarily for six-year-old schoolgoers; the videogames booklet focuses on 8-10-yearolds,and the Internet and Social Networks is aimed atchildren of 12 and older. In terms of reading and use,the booklets were designed for parents, teachers and,of course, children, for the reasons explained below.2.4. Conception and graphic designThe procedure for setting up each of the publicationswas identical. The texts were written based ondata and information from national and internationalresearch. The first step was to gather in this information.The authors were concerned to avoid a moralisticperspective or to provide a ready-to-use set of strategies.The main aim was to provide informationbased on the evidence from the research and makesuggestions for action inorder to encourage readersby appealing to theirexperience as consumerswithin the particularitiesof their contexts, whetherfamily, school, etc. As thecontent of the booklets ispredominantly based onthe relationship of youngpeople with media, theaim was for their voicesto be heard throughoutthese publications, andthe best way to do thiswas through drawingsand texts producedby the childrenthemselves whoseages ranged from 6to 15. This materialwas collected atschools and theteam subsequentlyselected drawingsand texts for publication,according tothe topics of thebooklets.The project in -volved about 200 students from 10 schools in northernPortugal. As already mentioned, students participatedby presenting drawings and texts which enriched thepublications with their perceptions. The involvementof these schools in the project gave the children anopportunity to learn and share experiences of mediaconsumption habits and patterns of usage. Further -more, in doing so, children and young people werenot considered to be mere consumers but producersand participants.With this material and data collected from the literature,the authors were able to produce the contentof the booklets, with the collaboration of a designerwho created three characters for the publications, therebylending continuity to the three booklets and framingthe material produced by the children 2 .Before publication, the texts were sent to parents,teachers and/or experts in the field to check the clarityof language and suggestions for corrections or amendments.These comments were a valuable contributionto the final review and also provided an initial sounding-outof public acceptance of the booklets.Figure 4. Main parts of the Internet and Social Networks booklet.Comunicar, 39, XX, 2012© ISSN: 1134-3478 • e-ISSN: 1988-3293• Pages 91-99