Critical Viewing

The idea of critical viewing developed in response to concern over the effects of television on children, who typically lack an understanding of how television programmes are produced. The term is now also used in discussing film and video viewed on any device, including tablets and smartphones. Critical viewing can be understood as the ability of viewers to evaluate and manage their own viewing habits; to recognise the behind-the-scene mechanisms employed on television, film, and the Internet; to understand the ideas and information presented in the context of their own sociocultural milieu; and ultimately to recognise the effects of such media on their own lives. This entry discusses curricula designed to teach critical viewing and then provides a detailed look at the skills encompassed by ...