Sánchez Reina, Jesús Roberto2025-11-192025-11-192025Sánchez-Reina JR. Beyond passive audiences: children’s agency in media literacy research. In: Toto GA, Limone P, Rossi M, editors. ICS Exchange 2025 Inclusion, Communication and Social engagement: atti di convegno - book of abstracts. ICS exchange Conference 2025; 2025 June 5-7; Foggia, Italy. Pomigliano d'Arco: Il Capoverso; 2025. p. 126-8.9791298527577http://hdl.handle.net/10230/71934One of the most salient contemporary debates in media research concerns the role of child audiences. The enduring legacy of media-centric approaches has contributed to the construction of childhood as marginalized or invisible, frequently framing young audiences as passive recipients (mere vessels or sponges). This perspective has often eclipsed essential questions such as: What do children do with the media and information they consume? What meanings and interpretations do they construct from content that is frequently presumed to “affect” them? (Buckingham, 2013; Kellner & Share, 2007; Livingstone, 2004). This paper analyzes the opportunities and challenges of conducting fieldwork with children, framed by the principles of the sociology of childhood. The study highlights key indicators that underscore the relevance of this perspective in our research and critically reflect on the practical limitations encountered in studying young audiences.application/pdfengCopyright © 2025 Il Capoverso Atti di convegno book of abstract “ICS Exchange 2025” © 2025 è concesso in licenza sotto CC BY-NC-ND 4.0info:eu-repo/semantics/conferenceObjectSociology of childhoodMedia literacyResearch in educationInclusionAudience researchResearching with childrenChild agencyinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess