In the past few years, education has become one of the key fronts in the so-called ‘culture wars’. It’s a development that is likely to prove extremely damaging for teachers and students.
Author Archives: dbuckingham2015
Mutant Mayhem: understanding the longevity of the Ninja Turtles
The latest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie breathes new life into a children’s franchise that might have been considered long past its sell-by date.
PAW Patrol and neoliberal hegemony: misreading the politics of toddlers’ TV
Is PAW Patrol just authoritarian capitalist propaganda? Such accusations may tell us more about adult critics than they do about children…
Artificial Intelligence in Education: A Media Education Approach
What are the implications of artificial intelligence for media educators, and for the media themselves?
The trouble with ‘information literacy’
Media literacy is increasingly coupled with a particular version of ‘information literacy’. I argue that this is not only conceptually incoherent but also educationally problematic.
Can we legislate for online safety?
The UK government’s Online Safety Bill has been continually beset by delays and difficulties – and by some justified criticisms. Further thought is clearly needed… Continue reading
Youth representing youth
Two recent films, produced collaboratively with groups of young people, raise some interesting questions about representation. A discussion of Sarah Gavron’s Rocks (2020) and Fred Baillif’s La Mif (The Fam, 2021). Continue reading
Yesterday’s news?
Two recent reports cast further light on young people’s increasing disengagement from mainstream news media.
How toddlers learn the secret language of movies
An interview with Cary Bazalgette, author of a fascinating new book about how very young children learn to understand screen media.
