SO IT APPEARS THE KEY — LIKE WITH MOST THINGS IN LIFE — IS MODERATION. CARNAHAN SUGGESTS SEVERAL “CAGES” FOR THE “TELEVISION MONSTER”:
• Establish “no TV zones,” such as TV-free Friday nights. • Limit consecutive viewing time to two hours. • Watch what your child is watching. • Never have the TV on during mealtimes. • Never have a TV or computer in your child’s room; TVs and computers belong in common, family areas where they can be monitored.
or love it,
AIN’T NO LEAVIN’ IT!
The bottom line: TV is part of our culture and is part of an art form that we often negate. It’s not going anywhere, but parents need to be smart about it. Even when serving a limited diet of TV, there are
still several issues of which we need to be aware:
1. DISTINGUISHING FANTASY FROM REALITY
Experts have identified that children have a hard time
distinguishing things on television from reality. Things are further blurred for Central Florida kids, who are certain that Mickey and his pals live a few miles south. In your child’s world, meerkats not only roam the savannah; they also dance in the 3:00 parade. The Disney factor is further evident when families swap commercial TV for seemingly safer DVDs. Suddenly, a kid’s grip on reality can become “royally” skewed. Think about your little girl wanting to be a princess and planning to marry her prince — when
she’s 4!
SOLUTION: “Talk with your children every day about the difference between reality and make-believe,” said Carnahan. Research shows
that 9-year-olds often believe that the events in seemingly-realistic fantasy shows such as Spy Kids and Twilight “could happen in reality.”
2. INAPPROPRIATE COMMERCIALS
Studies suggest that children have a hard time distinguishing
between programming and commercials. Let’s face it; commercials aren’t the best fit for children’s programming. Our 4-year-old proves that almost daily when he asks for the latest gadget — using exact trademarked names — every time he sees a new commercial.
SOLUTION: Carnahan suggests muting all commercials. “Explain that commercials are made-up stories,” she said. As an alternative,
she recommends using only DVR programs, which allow for easy “zapping” of the commercial content.
3. LACK OF CONTENT
Even with TV in moderation, there is still a scarcity of quality
programming. You eventually will find yourself repeating episodes … and often. Soon, you may find yourself yelling back at Dora. Sheesh — how many times can she lose Big Red Chicken?
SOLUTION: If your plan is to watch less TV, while making it more interactive and entertaining, set your DVR to only record the
new episodes of your favorite shows. If your plan is to stimulate their noggins, put in an episode of Your Baby Can Read! (www. yourbabycanread.com) or the Scholastic Storybook Treasures DVD So
You Want to Be President? (www.newkideo.com). Ummm ... does
anyone else think it’s ironic how many DVDs are out there focusing on the importance of reading?
4. SCARY STUFF
Your gut tells you to skip Scooby-Doo, because you know some
creepy monster’s plan will need to be foiled by that hilarious dog and his friends. Go with your gut. But it’s sometimes difficult to anticipate scary stuff. For instance, the Discovery Channel seems like a “safe haven” until your child sees Simba eating Bambi. Yikes!
SOLUTION: Carnahan recommends prescreening. “Children under 5 should not be exposed to any televised violence — not
even Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” she said. “It’s an American media myth that we don’t know enough about the connection between TV/movie violence and children’s behavior. We know plenty.” If you do get surprised by a violent act, at least by watching together, you can talk about it with your child after the show.
PLAYGROUND Spring 2010
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