David Buckingham

What’s the rationale behind Australia’s ban on under-16s using social media platforms, and how effective is it likely to be? An interview with Professor Michael Dezuanni. Continue reading →

This entry was posted in Childhood, Children Youth and Media, Digital media, internet safety, media education, Media regulation, Policy, social media and tagged age verification, children's internet, Jonathan Haidt, Michael Dezuanni, Social media ban on November 6, 2025 by dbuckingham2015.

Teaching Adolescence: the antidote to ‘toxic masculinity’?

The Netflix series Adolescence is being used in schools to teach about the problems of ‘toxic masculinity’ and the dangers of the ‘manosphere’. What are the potential problems of this approach? Continue reading →

This entry was posted in Children Youth and Media, Digital media, Education, gender, media education, parents, pedagogy, Sex, Television and tagged Adolescence, educational media, Into Film+, manosphere, misogyny, sex education, Tender, toxic masculinity on October 23, 2025 by dbuckingham2015.

Protecting minors? Book bans are on their way to Britain

There is growing controversy about the banning of books from children’s libraries in the UK. What’s motivating this phenomenon, and what can we do about it? Continue reading →

This entry was posted in 'race', Childhood, Children Youth and Media, children's literature, Documentary, Education, media effects, politics, race, reading, Sex and tagged banned-books, book banning, books, censorship, culture wars, homophobia, LGBTQ+, librarianship, libraries, racism, reading, school libraries on October 2, 2025 by dbuckingham2015.

‘I can see it in your face’: the perils of age verification online

As the UK’s Online Safety Act begins to be implemented, some well-established critical questions are arising once again. Will we ever be able to prevent children accessing material that we deem to be harmful or objectionable? And if we can’t, what then?

Continue reading →

This entry was posted in Childhood, Children Youth and Media, Digital media, Internet, internet safety, media education, media effects, Media literacy, Media regulation, social media and tagged age verification, children's rights, Identity checks, Julian Petley, Nathan Fisk, Online Safety Act, Pornography, privacy, pro-ana, surveillance on August 1, 2025 by dbuckingham2015.

Should we ban mobile phones in schools?

Reviewing arguments for and against – and proposing a media education approach.

Continue reading →

This entry was posted in Children Youth and Media, Education, media education, Media literacy, Media Studies, Policy, Technology in education and tagged Cell phones, cyberbullying, Distraction, Education, Jonathan Haidt, media panics, Mobile phones, Moral panics, news, privacy, school uniform, teachers, Technology on January 27, 2025 by 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.