IAME organised webinar on media literacy for children aged 0 to 6. The event took place on June 17, 2026 and gathered 24 participants.
With the participation of:
- Cary Bazalgette: Research on children and moving-image media on 0-3 age group
- Gianna Capello and Maria Ranieri: Infanzie Digitali: the impact of digital technologies on the daily lives of children aged 0-6.
- Sofia Theodosiadou: Podcasting and media literacy: a case study of preschool education students as media makers.
- Moderation by Maria Leonida, Filmmaker and Media educator, co-founder and Director of Karpos, Centre for Media Education, Athens and IAME board member.
Relive the discussions in video:
Abstract of the discussion:
The meeting convened researchers and educators to review evidence and practices for media encounters in early childhood (ages 0–6), covering observational research on toddlers, device and platform risks, and pedagogical design principles for educators and families.
Cary Bazalgette summarized longitudinal observational research on how infants and toddlers (0–3) attend to moving images, arguing that close observation reveals sustained, embodied attention (gaze, hand posture, breathing) that large-scale, parent‑report studies miss. She challenged claims of passive viewing or « addiction » as poorly evidenced and emphasized that debates should prioritize content quality and co‑viewing over raw duration. Bazalgette noted cultural differences in public-service children’s broadcasting that affect content quality and called for more small‑screen observational research.
A structured Q&A addressed device differences and family context: participants agreed moving images drive engagement across TVs, laptops, and smartphones but flagged technological and behavioral differences, especially adults’ pervasive handheld use shaping infants’ habits. Panelists emphasized co‑viewing, selection of high‑quality programming, and pragmatic contextual judgment where family constraints make device use necessary. Observations from Germany highlighted that stationary TVs facilitate better co‑viewing than portable devices in public and everyday caregiving scenarios.
Gianna Capello and Maria Ranieri presented their new book synthesizing sociological and pedagogical perspectives for ages 0–6, rejecting both alarmist bans and uncritical techno-optimism. They argued children’s digital encounters are inevitable and must be shaped by intentional mediation plus platform reforms. Capello outlined data‑collection channels (smart home devices, educational platforms, health apps, parental social sharing), warned about dark patterns in child-directed apps, and recommended shared responsibility across education, platforms, civil society, and public institutions.
Ranieri reframed early childhood media education as foundational and embodied: children learn through sensory-motor exploration, so media‑education approaches designed for adolescents do not transfer directly. She proposed three practice principles: start with unplugged activities to build vocabulary and concepts, use blended play that pairs short digital interactions with analog reflection, and introduce age‑appropriate AI literacy explaining examples, errors, and human design choices. She defined educator roles as design and orchestration of blended experiences and stressed parental digital competence as a strong predictor of children’s media environments.
Open issues included gaps in observational research on small‑screen and mobile device effects, how to operationalize privacy‑by‑design and media‑literacy‑by‑design in commercial platforms, and how to reconcile developmental limits on abstract critique with the need to protect children from data extraction and manipulative design.
Sofia Theodosiadou presented a small research project conducted with Early Childhood Education students to explore the educational potential of podcasting in preschool settings. As part of a media and childhood course, students worked in pairs to design and produce podcasts for young children, incorporating elements such as storytelling, music, sound design, and narration. Based on focus group discussions, the study found that podcasting was perceived as a highly creative and engaging learning method that differed from traditional teaching approaches. Students reported adopting a dual identity as both teachers and podcasters, seeing this role as a way to model healthy media literacy practices for children. They highlighted the value of storytelling and narration in supporting children’s learning and development, and viewed podcasting as an interactive, collaborative, and participatory educational tool. Overall, the participants concluded that podcasting can enrich kindergarten education by fostering creativity, media literacy, self-understanding, and cooperative learning, while helping future teachers reflect on their pedagogical role through hands-on media production.