Abstract:
A recent controversy in the public schools has been over the use of the media in education. How much influence has the media had on students? Are students learning more from the media than from the school system? Are we moving toward an oral culture, as some authors believe? If children are surrounded by and are learning from mass media, then we, as educators, must build on this learning and use the media to our advantage. But there have been few studies concerning the student's involvement with the media, and in order for educators to use the media, they must understand their students background in relation to the media.The purpose of this paper is to determine the influence that the media, particularly television, has had on secondary school students. This includes the amount of time students spend with the media, the kinds of programs students view on television, the frequency with which they watch these pro rams, and whether students use films or books to come into contact with famous selected literature.