Carrie Ebner

In contemporary society, childhood is characterized as mediatized and commercialized. Media consumption worlds (MCWs) are a phenomenon that mirrors both aspects. They are narratives that are presented through various media platforms, games, and merchandising products. In this paper, the concept of children’s MCWs is developed theoretically and investigated empirically using the case of primary school children’s appropriation of MCWs as well as parental mediation and attitude in Austria and Germany. A mixed-methods design was applied, starting with qualitative interviews with children and their parents and followed by an online survey for parents (N=327). The study revealed that children find individual ways to deal with MCWs, some of which foster creativity and self-expression but also consumerism. The parents’ attitude is ambivalent. They view MCWs as beneficial in terms of creativity, positive values, and as peer group experience. However, parents observe critically that MCWs lure children to the media and to consumption.

Kinder wachsen in einer Gesellschaft auf, die von Medien durchdrungen ist und eine starke Konsumorientierung aufweist. Beides spiegelt sich in medialen Konsumerlebniswelten für Kinder wider. In diesen Produktionen werden Geschichten medienübergreifend erzählt. Mit einer breiten Palette von medialen und nicht medialen Referenzangeboten, die zur spielerischen Nachahmung einladen und zum Konsum auffordern, werden affektive Erlebnisse generiert. Der Beitrag stellt das Konzept medialer Konsumerlebniswelten theoretisch sowie am Beispiel zweier Produktionen, nämlich Disneys „Die Eiskönigin“ und „Mia and me“ vor und erörtert deren medienethische Implikationen.