Ben Lerner “10:04” Part 1

I found the relationship between the narrator and Roberto to be particularly interesting, specifically the way in which media and easy access to media creates a common ground between child and adult. The conversation between the narrator and Roberto is surprisingly mature and unexpected when the young boy confesses to our narrator that, “Joseph Kony…The bad guy from Africa, from the Movie” (13) is haunting his dreams at night. Forget the monsters under the bed or needing to sleep with a night light, the new generation has moved on from these fears and now seem to be worried about a potential massacre in Brooklyn started by a Ugandan warlord. The reason behind this…..YouTube. We discussed in class how media platforms such as youtube are easily accessible and have a large web of content from funny home videos to Kony propaganda. Lerner draws attention to the potential issues regarding the easily accessible media platforms and how their information may be effecting younger generations. How are the relationships between children and adults changing if they are exposed to the same video content that can be understood by everyone. It is not as easy as hiding a newspaper headline from a child who cannot read anymore because both video and narration are everywhere. I think this concept of children being aware of larger world issues is realistic and relevant because of the exposure for all ages.