1. - Latvijas Universitāte

I Dinka. Rotaļlieta mediju sabiedrībā 67
15. Schorb B. (2005) Zur Theorie medialer Socialization. Grundbegriffe Medienpädagogik.
München: Kopaed, S. 381–389.
Summary
Children of today experience life via the mass media. That presents challenges
as well as opportunities to parents and teachers. Different media become part of the
playing environment of children, as do electronic and media-linked toys. They shape
the everyday experience of children in the 21st century. The many opportunities the
mass media provide create an environment that allows a child to become an active
participant, not a passive observer. Digital technologies change the media experience
towards resembling the experience of the real world.
The evolution of technology, science, and society has also affected toys, providing
new opportunities for play. Toys reflect the interests, values, and concepts of both
the child and society. Many toys are identical to those with which children played
many centuries ago – dolls, cars, animals, etc. It is apparent that children still play
with traditional toys. However, it is also evident that the media and media-linked and
technologic toys take up a significant part of the room of a 21st-century child.
Media-linked and technologic toys influence the content of playing and change its
forms, especially role-playing and creative playing. Today toys are part of complicated
marketing campaigns in the global industry which makes customers to purchase
goods. The phenomenon of media-linked toys originated in 1984 when the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) stopped controlling TV broadcasts for children,
which opened up the opportunity to advertise media-linked toys on television.
While playing with toys, imitating frequently results in the lack of creativity in
the playing process as children simply render activities, behaviour, language, facial
expressions, and gestures seen in the media. The more media a child is exposed to,
the greater the possibility that he/she will identify himself/herself with them, choosing
media-linked toys. Toys will facilitate the evolution of the content of playing if they are
socially positive and do not foster aggression.
The level of children’s exposure to the mass media and technologic and medialinked
toys depends on adults. To promote playing with toys, parents have to follow their
child`s activities and critically evaluate the supply of toys and playing opportunities.
They have to encourage such media usage patterns that have potentially positive
pedagogical effects on the upbringing process.
Keywords: media, toy, traditional toy, media-linked toy, play.