TITLE OF THE SYMPOSIUM:

"Family and Media: Global Perspectives in the Digital Age" International Family Symposium

SYMPOSIUM IMPLEMENTATION LOCATION:

Social Sciences University of Ankara
Eğitim-Bir-Sen / Educators Union (Presidency of Women's Commission)

SYMPOSIUM IMPLEMENTATION DATE AND DURATION:

The symposium will be held for 2 days between 15th and 16th of May, 2025. 

RESPONSIBLE ORGANIZATIONS FOR SYMPOSIUM IMPLEMENTATION:

Social Sciences University of Ankara
Education-Bir-Sen / Educators Union (Presidency of Women's Commission)

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SYMPOSIUM:

Digital media, the internet, and social media have profoundly permeated the daily lives of family members. Forms of communication within families, parenting styles, parental roles, and even interpersonal relationships are being transformed through the use of digital media tools. As well as, media content directly impacts the social norms, values, and identity-building processes of family members. The new cultural norms propagated through media in the digital age are leading to a reevaluation of traditional roles within family structures.

For children and adolescents, media consumption has become a determining factor in their social and psychological development processes. Relationships between parents and children are reshaping according to habits of media usage. Various researches show that social media platforms contribute to increase in anxiety and depression rates among youth. Furthermore, violent content disseminated through media, harmful social behaviors, and the flow of misinformation threaten the healthy development of children and adolescents.

On the other hand, digital media also brings elements that threaten the privacy rights of family members. Particularly in social media, the content parents share about their children (sharenting) can lead to privacy issues later in life for the children. In addition to concerns on privacy, the risk of children being exposed to harmful content and cyberbullying in online environments becomes prominent. A lack of awareness about digital security leaves families vulnerable to cyber threats and scams. Therefore, in the digital age, media has fundamentally transformed not only the lives of individuals but also the relationships within families. Digital tools like social media, smartphones, digital games, and online platforms are reshaping forms of communication among family members. While face-to-face communication and physical proximity were significant in traditional family structures, interactions among families are increasingly shifting to virtual environments due to digitization. The "Family and Media: Global Perspectives in the Digital Age" International Family Symposium is significant as it offers an opportunity to deeply examine the effects of these transformations on family relationships, parenting styles, and child development.

With globalization, digital media facilitates the rapid spread of different cultural norms and values across the globe. One of the important focal points of this symposium is how family structures in various cultural contexts are influenced by media consumption. The global proliferation of Western media content can create cultural tensions in adapting to local family norms and values. This situation necessitates the creation of intercultural awareness and the need for media content to become more balanced and culturally sensitive.

The relationship between family and media manifests differently across various cultures and societies on a global scale. Particularly with the spread of globalization and media tools, the differences and similarities in family structures have become more pronounced. This symposium aims to explore how families interact with media in various cultures, highlighting the differences and similarities in media usage within cultural contexts. The "Family and Media: Global Perspectives in the Digital Age" International Family Symposium aims to provide significant knowledge regarding the role of digital media within cultural diversity, contributing to media policies and strategies.

With digitization, there is a need for new regulations and policies regarding the relationship between media and family. Governments and international organizations are developing new strategies considering the effects of digital media tools on children, youth, and families. This symposium aims to raise awareness about the place and impact of media policies within family structures and to guide policymakers. Addressing issues such as children's rights, online safety, and ethical use of digital media at an international level is crucial for the symposium's contribution to the policy-making processes.

AIM OF THE SYMPOSIUM:

The primary aim of the "Family and Media: Global Perspectives in the Digital Age" International Family Symposium is to examine the effects of media tools brought by the digital age on families within an academic framework and to foster interdisciplinary dialogue among international academics, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners in this field.

• Sharing Knowledge and Awareness Raising: The symposium will serve as an important platform for sharing recent research on the family-media relationship, providing significant knowledge-sharing opportunities for academics and experts working in this area. It also aims to convey the positive and negative impacts of media usage on families to a broader audience and to raise awareness.
• Interdisciplinary Approach: The issues surrounding families and media involve multiple disciplines, including sociology, psychology, communication, law, education, and media studies. This international symposium aims to bring these disciplines together, facilitating in-depth analyses and the development of solutions from various perspectives. The interdisciplinary approach will contribute significantly to both academia and society.
• Addressing Global Perspectives: The symposium seeks to examine the relationships between media and family in different cultural and geographical contexts, aiming to bring together global perspectives. Global issues such as migration, globalization, and digital inequality and their effects on family-media relationships will also be addressed. This will encourage international collaborations and allow for a broader evaluation of the impacts of global media policies on families.
• Developing Recommendations for the Future: In light of the rapidly changing dynamics of the digital age, it is crucial to develop effective strategies to manage the impacts of media usage on families and to protect family structures. The "Family and Media: Global Perspectives in the Digital Age" International Family Symposium aims to lay the groundwork for raising awareness among families regarding digital media usage, promoting media literacy programs, and formulating new policy recommendations for families.

SYMPOSIUM TARGET AUDIENCE:

The "Family and Media: Global Perspectives in the Digital Age" International Family Symposium will provide a platform for academics and researchers from disciplines such as media studies, theology, sociology, psychology, child development, and family therapy. Additionally, media professionals, family counselors, policymakers, and representatives of non-governmental organizations will also be part of the target audience for the symposium.

SYMPOSIUM COMMITTEES:

HONORARY PRESIDENTS OF THE SYMPOSIUM

Prof. Dr. Musa Kazım ARICAN - Rector of Ankara Social Sciences University

Ali YALÇIN - President of Memur-Sen

SYMPOSIUM ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

Prof. Dr. Münire Kevser BAŞ - Vice-Rector, ASBÜ

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ayten EROL - Islamic Studies Institute, ASBÜ

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ahmet Faruk ÇEÇEN - Deputy Dean, Faculty of Communication, ASBÜ

Dr. Gazi DOĞAN - Head of Common Courses, ASBÜ

Dr. Lecturer Ayşe BAYRAKTAR BARIŞ - Faculty of Theology, ASBÜ

Sıdıka AYDIN - President of Women’s Commission, Memur-Sen and Eğitim-Bir-Sen