Children and Television
Valuable Websites Help Parents Make Informed Decisions
Parents who make informed decisions regarding their children's "media diet" look to organizations such as Common Sense Media for reviews, research, and more.
Common Sense Media offers reviews of movies, television shows, video games, and websites that are geared towards children. The “Common Sense Tips for a Healthy Media Diet” provide concerned parents with guidelines for managing the media their children encounter each day. Parents who are interested in the latest research will find it here as well as opportunities to get involved with the national movement to raise “media-savvy” kids.
The National Institute on Media and the Family was founded in 1996 by Dr. David Walsh, best-selling author and international speaker. The organization’s website is an excellent resource for parents, providing current research regarding children and television as well as common sense advice. The Institute is working towards reduced screen time for young children with programs like “Switch” which helps educate parents on the media and its effect on preschoolers. The Media Wise website covers more than just TV; it also includes information for parents on music, video games, and the internet.
The TV Turnoff Network is a valuable resource for parents who are attempting to decrease their children’s time in front of the television. A thirty page guide to “tv-free” fun can be found on their website and downloaded for free. Mazes, word searches, and art activities are included in the handy guide as well as a list of related books to check out at the library. The website features directions for “TV-proofing” your home in order to reduce screen time and increase time spent playing games, reading, and being together as a family.
In closing, it is important to note that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends absolutely no television viewing for children under the age of 2 and that children should not have television sets in their bedrooms. The AAP policy statement on the topic of children and television recognizes that violent programming and commercials that glamorize drug use can indeed impact young minds. The increase in childhood obesity has been linked to excessive television viewing. Ads for fattening, sugary foods which are geared towards children, even toddlers, are also cause for concern. It is estimated that the average American child watches 3 hours of TV a day while the AAP recommends a maximum of 2 hours of quality programming. “The Smart Parent’s Guide to Kids’ TV” can be found on their website and includes current statistics about television viewing and as well as recommendations for parents.
