TV and Video in OSHC

Abstract

This chapter examines how television and video playback are positioned in Out of School Hours Care (OSHC) services. Positioning, here, implies both the physical and social senses of the term. Even though all of the services we visited had basically the same media (TV, video, video games, and some sort of computer access), the children’s play habits around media were very different from place to place. When talking about our television use, we usually say that we ‘watch TV’ and when we talk about video game use, we call it ‘playing video games.’ The way we speak about these activities tends to simplify very complex activities and relationships with and through media. There are a lot of ways to watch television and to play video games, and children in OSHC demonstrate a wide range of media practices.

I sometimes do play outside and watch TV and play Super Nintendo and go on the Internet on the computer. I mean, life doesn’t always revolve around playing [video] games.

—Mario, nine years old, 20 September 2000

If people bring along videos, we’ll we watch them instead of cartoons or instead of Nintendo64. Instead of Nintendo64 I don’t like it. If it’s Pokemon [video], I really like it. ‘Pokemon Stadium’ starts to get a little boring, and I don’t like listening to ‘Pokemon Stadium.’ That’s why I like watching Pokemon [video] instead of Nintendo.

—Bill, nine years old, 28 July 2000