Studies show that American children are viewing 26-33 hours of television each week by the time they reach age 3. Children spend more time watching TV than any other activity, except sleeping. Does that disturb you? Sobering statistics I want to share some statistics and research on the media, it’s impact on children, and how parents can help their children become “media wise.” Take a close look at the following statistics and I’m sure you will be as disturbed as the researchers and physicians who are encouraging parents to turn off the television set. o Each year American children view 15,000 sexual references and innuendoes, 2,000 beer and wine commercials, and 10,000 acts of violence on TV. 2,000 of those are murders. Of the 15,000 sexual references on TV, only 9 percent involve responsible, healthy sexuality. o 10 to 25 percent of violent behavior among children and adolescents is attributed to the media. o 40 percent of prime time programs are considered to have high violence content. o By the time most children graduate from high school they will have spent 11,000 hours in school and 22,000 hours watching TV. o In an average evening of TV viewing, deadly weapons appear about nine times each hour. o Dr. Brandon Centerwell, a media violence expert, writes that “TV [violence] is a factor in 10,000 homicides each year.” Effects of TV violence Studies on the effects of TV violence on children and teenagers have found that children may: o Become immune to the horror of violence. o Gradually come to accept violence as a way to solve problems. o Imitate the violence they observe on television; and o Identify with certain characters, victims and/or perpetrators of violence. o Children with emotional, behavioral, learning or impulse control problems may be more easily influenced by TV violence. Choose ‘healthy’ programs There have been more than 1,000 studies on the harmful effects of TV violence and none of them show any positive effects from watching violence. However, parents can make TV viewing healthier for their children. There are many good educational and violence-free program options available out there. It is up to parents to find, preview and encourage viewing of these programs. Turn off the TV for good? I’m not saying to turn off the TV forever – most experts aren’t either. However, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently released a statement that said children under the age of 2 should not view any television. The AAP also recommends that TV viewing in older children be limited to one to two hours per day. Keep in mind that it is the cumulative effect of exposure to TV violence that is harmful. Encourage your child to be active in other activities other than TV watching. Other recommendations o Monitor what your child is watching. o Watch TV and movies with your child. o Teach your children about media “hype” and tricks. o Keep the television set out of the bedroom. Some examples of how parents can help children understand the media include explaining to your child what is real and what isn’t. Children under six years of age are not usually capable of understanding this on their own. When they see someone get shot on TV, they tend to believe it is really happening. If you choose to allow them to view this type of programming, make sure you are there to tell them it isn’t real. This applies to all types of programming. With older children you can discuss alternate ways the characters could have handled the problem. Ask them what they think of it. When viewing commercials make your beliefs known and have a discussion about how the media uses sex to sell products. A recent survey indicates that parents are the number one influence in a teenagers life. However, teens cannot read minds, so share your beliefs and concerns with them. As parents we cannot protect our children from everything, nor should we. Children need to learn how to decipher right from wrong and learn how to problem-solve for themselves. Parents need to guide and teach them how to do this, or the media and Hollywood will. For more information, call Sara Watts at (320) 398-7700, ext. 207. Statistics were taken from the following sources: o American Academy of Pediatrics, phone (847) 228-5005. o American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, visit www.aacap.org. o Turmoil in the Toy Box II, (Robie, Joan Hake).
