Constructing The Child Viewer: A History Of The... Apr 2026

: Luke explores the idea of "rhetorical displacement," where social anxieties about "unruly" youth or new technology are funneled into educational and intervention programs. These programs often aim to "inoculate" children to preserve traditional, print-based models of childhood.

The book is frequently cited in ERIC and other academic databases as a foundational text for understanding Media Literacy and the history of children's television. It sits alongside other influential works in the field, such as: Children Talking Television by David Buckingham. Babes in Tomorrowland by Nicholas Sammond. Nickelodeon Nation edited by Heather Hendershot. Expanding Notions of Pedagogy: The Works of Carmen Luke Constructing the Child Viewer: A History of the...

The text focuses on the period between , a time when television became the dominant medium in American households. : Luke explores the idea of "rhetorical displacement,"