ABSTRACT
Stay-at-home orders have been measures taken by many countries to protect people from Sars-CoV-2;therefore, the use of devices connected to the internet has increased. In Spain, children have also been locked down, making the internet a necessary channel for learning and sociability. This paper intends to study how the online communicative activity of children aged 6 to 12 took place during and after lockdown. The various statistical tests performed reveal that the increased use of devices during lockdown is related mostly to sociability, entertainment, and gaming. The findings show numerous intergenerational tensions between the adult population and children regarding the internet. © 2022 Universidad de La Sabana. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Purpose The use of mobile devices by children and adolescents is increasing significantly;therefore, it is relevant to research the level of advertising literacy (AL) of parents who act as mediators between children and mobile advertising. This study aims to explore the conceptual, moral and attitudinal dimensions of AL and its relationship with different styles of parental control. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional survey was applied simultaneously to a sample of parents with children between 5 and 16 years old in three Spanish-speaking countries: Mexico, Spain and Colombia. Participants from the three countries were recruited via online social media networks and were asked to fill in an online survey. A questionnaire, which has been adapted from previous literature to suit the mobile advertising context and the population of interest, was designed. Cross-country samples of varying sizes, with a predetermined quota of 200 participants for each country, were used. The total sample consisted of 1,454 participants. Findings Four factors of mobile AL were found, which, to a greater extent, correspond to the dimensions of AL proposed in the literature. The following are the dimensions that were identified: cognitive, moral, attitudinal and an emerging factor is known as "children's perceived mobile AL." Differences in parents' perceived knowledge of mobile advertising, parental control styles and AL levels in the three countries were identified. Parents with an authoritative style were identified to have more knowledge than those with an indulgent style. Differences were also identified between countries concerning the amount of exposure that children have to mobile advertising, while no significant differences were found in the moral dimension. Practical implications Marketing practitioners and public policymakers must consider that parents differ in some dimensions of AL. Parents also seem to lack adequate knowledge about the advertising tools available to announcers that affect children and adolescents in a mobile communication environment. Therefore, government agencies should consider developing mobile digital media literacy programs for parents. Originality/value This paper explores the dimensions of AL applied to the mobile context and identifies the level of parental mobile AL in three Spanish-speaking countries, as well as the differences between these sub-samples concerning parental mobile AL profiles and parental control styles, thus expanding the literature on AL with a cross-cultural approach.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: In this work, an analysis of the front pages of the main Spanish newspapers during the Covid-19 crisis is carried out. Methodology: This study's main objective is to analyze the approach or framing adopted by the various headers to convey information regarding the pandemic and its impact on society. For this purpose, the methodology applied consisted of analyzing the cover pages' contents in the Spanish press. The sample design has been based on three criteria: temporal, professional, and discursive. Results/Discussion: The tone of the main headlines on the front pages was negative. Such negativity focuses on the government's management of this crisis. Similarly, the topics covered in the headline condition the tone. The following have been the main topics, in this order: health, politics, and economy. In terms of visual treatment, it should be noted that the headlines have highlighted civil society in their photographs as an information actor ahead of politicians and official institutions. Conclusions: The most present institutional actor in the headlines' discursive analysis has been the Government represented in the figure of its President.