Abstract
Various studies on children and the media have been conducted in many different ways around the world. Amid major changes in both the media and children's everyday lives, there is a pressing need to sort the results of these studies from clearly defined perspectives and correlate them for the best possible use. This task may now be regarded as indispensable to the further progress of such studies. This article seeks to analyze major trends in research on children and the media in different countries, the content and background of characteristic types of studies, and also feedback about the results of these studies, mainly in the 1990s. Ever more carefully designed studies need to be conducted, including those that place emphsis on the positive aspects of media impact which should be encouraged for enjoyment by as many children as possible. A fresh framework for studies should be developed from wider viewpoints, supported by researchers with different backgrounds and experience, in order to make the total media environment more healthy and attractive for children, not only in Japan but around the world.
