Children communicate about film

The aim of this master’s thesis is to obtain greater understanding of how children relate to the film medium and their experiences. This is obtained by listening to the children and observing their verbal and nonverbal communication in two focus group interviews. Children’s access to and selection of film are due to adult’s restrictions. Science has focused on the side effects that come along when children are exposed to violent action films. As a theoretical starting point, I used communication theory and Argyle’s (1972) non verbal codes to interpret the children’s body language. The empirical results are linked to earlier research and analysed according to four different themes, all connected to the nonverbal codes. The children like the strong feelings that come along with their experiences; still they want to understand the plot in the films. They explain to each other when they can connect to their own experiences and seek for support when needed. They express mixed feelings when it comes to downloading from the Internet because it is illegal, yet they are excited over the fact that it takes a short time and they appreciate to have access. Watching film gives a different kind of understanding compared to reading, since more senses are involved. The children don’t believe producers will make more films suited to children’s wants and needs in the future.Uppsatsnivå: