Media has controls — Media, 4–6 years
Buttons and switches can change what happens in a video, song or game. Media, 4–6 years.
What the controls do
A media control is a button, switch or slider that changes what you hear or see. Play starts something, pause stops it for a moment, and the volume control makes sound louder or quieter. You can look for the control that matches what you want.
Why controls matter
Without controls, a recording would run at one speed and one volume, even when that was not useful. People made controls so they could choose when to listen, stop, repeat or turn the sound down. This helps media fit the moment and the person using it.
Example: making a song quieter
1. A song starts and it sounds too loud. 2. Find the speaker symbol or volume slider. 3. Move the slider towards the quiet end, or press the lower-volume button once. 4. Listen again and adjust it until the sound is comfortable. The song has not changed; only its volume has changed.
A common mix-up
It is easy to think that pressing pause makes a video disappear or pressing mute removes its sound forever. That seems reasonable because the picture or sound stops at once. In fact, pause only waits, and mute only hides the sound; play or unmute can bring them back.
Where you meet controls
You meet media controls on a television, tablet, music player, camera and some toys. You might pause a story while someone speaks, turn down a song near a sleeping baby, or replay a short part. Knowing the controls helps you use the media instead of letting it choose everything for you.
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