Watching television is a big part of many children’s lives. A
scientist said many kids sit in front
of a TV longer than they spend in school.
“Think for a minute how long your TV is on,” said
Service child development specialist with the UGA College
of Family and Consumer Sciences. “In many homes, it’s on
an hour or so in the
morning and again from right after school until
bedtime.”
Plusses and
minuses
And although many positive shows are on the air,
children can see many negative things
on TV, too, Bales said.
Children who spend three or more hours a day using
visual media such as TV or video
games tend to have less success at school and poorer
reading skills, she said. They tend
to be less physically fit, too, than children who spend
more time playing outside.
She notes, too, how quickly children begin to mimic the
things they see on TV,
particularly violence.
“Research groups have watched children as they watch TV
and in free play after
watching,” Bales said. “Children act out what they see. If
they see others
taking turns, they practice taking turns. If they see
aggression, they tend to fight.
After watching Power Rangers, they want to ‘become’ Power
Rangers.”
Family TV
time
Bales said it’s important that parents watch shows with
their children, rather than
letting the TV set babysit. When the whole family watches
a show, parents can screen shows
for content they don’t want their children to see, she
said.
“And that provides a perfect time for parents to talk
with their children about
the show and see how much the children understand about
what they saw,” she said.
“They can talk about why the behavior they saw was
acceptable or unacceptable.”
Parents are role models for television use. Bales said
adults should watch TV in
moderation, whether children live in the home or not.
“Don’t just turn on the TV to see if something is on,”
she said.
“Something is always on. And pay attention to other media
besides television. Video
games, computer time and videotaped movies can all be
overused.”
Using media
wisely
She offers some suggestions on using TV and other visual
media wisely.
* Limit TV time. Let each person in the house pick two
or three shows he really wants
to watch. If a selected show isn’t on, turn off the TV.
* Coordinate with school. Look for programs or Internet
resources that children can
relate to what they’re learning in classes. Or look for
shows that relate to your child’s
interests or your own.
* Use commercials to discuss the show with your child.
Talk about what you just saw and
predict what will happen next.
* Look for show ratings. TV producers rate their shows
based on language, sexual
content and violence. Many parenting magazines or
resources list independent ratings that
may give you more help in deciding if certain shows are
appropriate.
* Provide other activities. During TV or video
downtime, encourage children and adults
in your family to do other things: play outside, read a
book, play a board game or
participate in sports, music or other lessons or clubs.
Final
advice
Bales has three pieces of advice about television: use
it moderately, be firm and
consistent about rules and practice what you preach.
“Of course, those rules are true for almost any issue
parents have with
children,” Bales said. “Why should they be any different
for television and
media use?”
