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Tip Summary
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Don’t use television as a child-minder
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Know the content beforehand and decide if it is suitable
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Agree time limits for television and internet for each child
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Don’t allow a television set in the child’s bedroom
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Agree when is the right time to watch television and when it is not appropriate
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Try to avoid the sitting room becoming a shrine to the television set
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Where possible, watch with children and turn passive watching into an educational opportunity
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Make sure all adults in the household know and stick to the agreed boundaries of viewing content and length of time
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Avoid television being the staple form of home entertainment
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Exercise the off button rather than leaving it on in the background
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Remote control
As parents how many of us would knowingly put our children at risk of an unhealthy habit-forming addiction that can lead to over-stimulation, obesity, nightmares and aggression. It can quickly become a major source of family conflict and a habit that is difficult to break yet most of us choose to expose our children to it on a daily basis.
By Jayne May
I am talking, of course, about the television, internet and DVDs when used in excess and without proper control. Television and other forms of media are all part of life and there is nothing going to change about that in the near future. There are, of course, educational benefits and some excellent programming where children can learn about the wider world and understand some of the day-to-day challenges of life. They also provide superb entertainment and can provide a lot of joy to a family allowing special time together.
BUT…
Like everything there is a balance and we need to stop and think especially at this time of year when the weather is cold, school holidays approaching and with extensive Christmas viewing on offer. How many of us, me included, have told the children to be quiet while watching a favourite programme while the children are playing near the television. In reality we should be delighted that the children are engaged in an activity that is developing their imagination rather than sitting silently in front of a screen.
Think again about the lounge area and how nice it would be to have some family time without the television which often forms the centre of the room and in some cases a central focus of home life. How frustrating is it to go round to a friend’s or relation’s home and have to compete with the television to have a conversation? I think it is plain rude to have to talk over the noise of a programme as a guest in a friend’s house but pay little attention to the same issue in my own sitting room. Children are far more likely to have a fulfilled time and have lasting memories of family life by having a winter walk in the sunshine or playing some musical instruments indoors when it is raining rather than sitting in a row glued to the latest children’s programmes. If we find ourselves reaching for the remote as a habit, try putting the radio on instead providing less distraction and only switch the television on for specific agreed times.
Fat, juvenile delinquency
Dr. Jay Martin of the University of Southern California found that “in a multi-year study of 732 children, conflicts with parents, fighting with peers, and delinquency were correlated with the total number of hours of television viewing.” The study goes on to explain that it is not sufficient to ban scenes containing violence because the length of time a child watches television of any kind, even children’s programmes, directly correlates with the level of negative behaviour including aggression, so it does seem that television is certainly harmful when over used.
Children watching television burn fewer calories than they would if engaged in play activities; combine this with eating snacks like crisps and sweets and we are on way to the ever-increasing obesity problem. Overweight children have less energy and, therefore, are more inclined to want to sit in front of the “box” or computer and so begins a vicious circle.
As adults we can exercise some discernment when adverts play across our screens while children are prime targets of the commercial, accepting the information portrayed as real. One way to avoid this completely is to only allow media that is commercial-free (although particularly rare, some channels and websites are commercial-free) instead of watching programmes interspersed with encouragement to try the latest popular snack or get hold of the latest action figure.
When the current generation of parents grew up there was far less violence, bad language or sexuality shown on television, and internet did not exist in our homes, but today even programming labelled as family viewing can contain scenes that may fall outside your own standard of acceptability. But still, sometimes it is often easier to just carry on watching rather than to switch off.
Video games and internet sites that appear on the surface to be alright can have content far below the levels we would knowingly choose so it is wise for parents to check first and be assured of the material portrayed. We all have our own morality levels and it makes good sense for parents to sit down and agree where this line is drawn and to agree to back each other up when the time comes to press the off button.
Many of the so-called soaps and evening viewing show varying degrees of sexual promiscuity, vulgar language and violence that can seep into a child’s understanding of the world. What is the point of bringing our children up well and with good morals only to allow multimedia to undermine our good work?
Taking charge
If we are using our media as an electronic baby-sitter, then we need to change.
While there is nothing wrong in using it as a welcome distraction once in a while, there is a danger to the wellbeing of our children and their long-term development if they are watching television or films or playing and surfing the net for hours on end.
Limiting the length of time the television is on is one good way to exercise control and to set boundaries regarding what can be viewed. Avoid having a television set in the children’s own room where you have little control over what is watched and for how long. It can be an unhealthy distraction from play, homework and sleep.
Some studies have found that children under three should not watch any television at all as it is thought to be harmful to their development and it is recommended that older children are limited to one to hour per day.
Naturally it is up to us to decide what we feel is appropriate and as parents we all have choices to make. Plato wrote: “Anything a child receives into his mind is likely to become indelible and unalterable,” so with that in mind it is better to be in control so as to avoid the consequences later.
“If the television craze continues with the present level of programs, we are destined to have a nation of morons.”
Daniel Marsh, 1950
By Jayne May
I am talking, of course, about the television, internet and DVDs when used in excess and without proper control. Television and other forms of media are all part of life and there is nothing going to change about that in the near future. There are, of course, educational benefits and some excellent programming where children can learn about the wider world and understand some of the day-to-day challenges of life. They also provide superb entertainment and can provide a lot of joy to a family allowing special time together.
BUT…
Like everything there is a balance and we need to stop and think especially at this time of year when the weather is cold, school holidays approaching and with extensive Christmas viewing on offer. How many of us, me included, have told the children to be quiet while watching a favourite programme while the children are playing near the television. In reality we should be delighted that the children are engaged in an activity that is developing their imagination rather than sitting silently in front of a screen.
Think again about the lounge area and how nice it would be to have some family time without the television which often forms the centre of the room and in some cases a central focus of home life. How frustrating is it to go round to a friend’s or relation’s home and have to compete with the television to have a conversation? I think it is plain rude to have to talk over the noise of a programme as a guest in a friend’s house but pay little attention to the same issue in my own sitting room. Children are far more likely to have a fulfilled time and have lasting memories of family life by having a winter walk in the sunshine or playing some musical instruments indoors when it is raining rather than sitting in a row glued to the latest children’s programmes. If we find ourselves reaching for the remote as a habit, try putting the radio on instead providing less distraction and only switch the television on for specific agreed times.
Fat, juvenile delinquency
Dr. Jay Martin of the University of Southern California found that “in a multi-year study of 732 children, conflicts with parents, fighting with peers, and delinquency were correlated with the total number of hours of television viewing.” The study goes on to explain that it is not sufficient to ban scenes containing violence because the length of time a child watches television of any kind, even children’s programmes, directly correlates with the level of negative behaviour including aggression, so it does seem that television is certainly harmful when over used.
Children watching television burn fewer calories than they would if engaged in play activities; combine this with eating snacks like crisps and sweets and we are on way to the ever-increasing obesity problem. Overweight children have less energy and, therefore, are more inclined to want to sit in front of the “box” or computer and so begins a vicious circle.
As adults we can exercise some discernment when adverts play across our screens while children are prime targets of the commercial, accepting the information portrayed as real. One way to avoid this completely is to only allow media that is commercial-free (although particularly rare, some channels and websites are commercial-free) instead of watching programmes interspersed with encouragement to try the latest popular snack or get hold of the latest action figure.
When the current generation of parents grew up there was far less violence, bad language or sexuality shown on television, and internet did not exist in our homes, but today even programming labelled as family viewing can contain scenes that may fall outside your own standard of acceptability. But still, sometimes it is often easier to just carry on watching rather than to switch off.
Video games and internet sites that appear on the surface to be alright can have content far below the levels we would knowingly choose so it is wise for parents to check first and be assured of the material portrayed. We all have our own morality levels and it makes good sense for parents to sit down and agree where this line is drawn and to agree to back each other up when the time comes to press the off button.
Many of the so-called soaps and evening viewing show varying degrees of sexual promiscuity, vulgar language and violence that can seep into a child’s understanding of the world. What is the point of bringing our children up well and with good morals only to allow multimedia to undermine our good work?
Taking charge
If we are using our media as an electronic baby-sitter, then we need to change.
While there is nothing wrong in using it as a welcome distraction once in a while, there is a danger to the wellbeing of our children and their long-term development if they are watching television or films or playing and surfing the net for hours on end.
Limiting the length of time the television is on is one good way to exercise control and to set boundaries regarding what can be viewed. Avoid having a television set in the children’s own room where you have little control over what is watched and for how long. It can be an unhealthy distraction from play, homework and sleep.
Some studies have found that children under three should not watch any television at all as it is thought to be harmful to their development and it is recommended that older children are limited to one to hour per day.
Naturally it is up to us to decide what we feel is appropriate and as parents we all have choices to make. Plato wrote: “Anything a child receives into his mind is likely to become indelible and unalterable,” so with that in mind it is better to be in control so as to avoid the consequences later.
“If the television craze continues with the present level of programs, we are destined to have a nation of morons.”
Daniel Marsh, 1950
