Family and Media Use

Children and the Media ❖ Average 8- to 18-year-old spends nearly 8 hours a day with a variety of different media ❖ Preschoolers watch an average of 3.5 hours of television per day. Television in their bedroom: ❖ ❖ 0-2: 18% 3-4: 43% 5-6: 37% 8-18: 71% ❖ ❖ ❖

Children and Television ❖ 1982 by the National Institute of Mental Health study of violent television: ❖ Children may become less sensitive to the pain and suffering of others ❖ Children may be more fearful of the world around them ❖ Children may be more likely to behave in aggressive or harmful ways toward others

Children and Television ❖ Increased watching of violent television during elementary years led to: ❖ more aggressive behavior in the teen years increased chances of being arrested and prosecuted for criminal acts as adults. ❖

❖ U.S. children watch 28 hours of TV weekly, seeing as many as 8,000 murders by the time he or she finishes elementary school at age 11. ❖ Killers are depicted as getting away with the murders 75% of the time while showing no remorse or accountability. Children and Television

Media and Sexualization

❖ Adolescents may be particularly vulnerable. Why? ❖ May not critique the message Teens are at a stage where they are developing their values and beliefs around gender roles, sexual behaviors and attitudes Teens spend a great deal of time watching television ❖ ❖

Children and Television ❖ Obesity: ❖ An estimated $15 billion was spent by various companies pitching fast food, sugary cereals and junk food to kids. ❖ Children have a significant influence of what food is bought in the home

Television ❖ Research finds a link between children who watch more television and the increased likelihood ADHD ❖ Not sure about cause and effect

Parents and Television ❖ TV on in the background ❖ Children tend not to watch Experiment of background television ❖ ❖ less play overall shorter play episodes shorter bouts of focused attention ❖ ❖

TV Appropriateness ❖ What qualities of a television show make it appropriate for children? ❖ Have to look at the full picture: ❖ Presentation, developmentally appropriate, role of the parent, does it require the child to move.

What can parents do?

Video Games ❖ Playing violent video games: increase a person's aggressive thoughts, feelings and behavior both in laboratory settings and in actual life ❖ Why might violent video games be more harmful than television?

Educational Media ❖ What’s the assumption behind educational media? ❖ How is the message delivered? Clifford the Big Red Dog ❖

Educational Media ❖ Educational Games What’s the focus? ❖ ❖ Lots of bells and whistles Focus on the technology (telling their kids when and where to click) ❖

Parents ❖ What can parents do about television use? ❖ Keep the TV out of bedrooms Monitor use Co-view TV, movies, and videos. Talk about what is seen/use as teaching moments Practice what you preach Establish “Screen Free” zones ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖