The Elephant in the Living Room is an excellent book about children and television that has received many rave reviews. The founder of Common Sense Media, James P. Steyer, highly recommends it and wrote the following: “Television has a huge impact on every child and family in this country. This should be required reading for every parent and teacher who’s concerned about the topic.” Parents who want to make informed decisions about television will find this book extremely useful for several reasons.
Well-Qualified Authors
Dr. Dimitri Christakis is a pediatrician at the Children’s Hospital Seattle and is the father of two small children. He has written more than 100 research articles and has made appearances on numerous television shows.
Dr. Fred Zimmerman is an associate professor at the University of Washington’s School of Public Health and is also the father of two children. Like Christakis, he is a prolific writer and well-known in his field. Together, they serve as the directors for the Child Health Institute in Seattle, Washington.
Comprehensive Resource
In the past, researching issues related to kids and TV was overwhelming because there’s just so much information on the topic. This book covers all the latest research and touches on just about every concern a parent might have regarding the role television plays in their child’s life. Topics discussed include the effect TV may or may not have on children’s attention spans, violent programming, sexual content, marketing to kids, alcohol and drug use by minors TV, body image issues, and more. The authors do not claim that television itself is “bad” but are forthcoming about how television can indeed have a negative impact on the development of children and teens. What’s “good” on television and how little ones can benefit educational programming is also covered in the book, with praise being given to groundbreaking shows for preschoolers like Sesame Street and Blue’s Clues.
Readability Factor
The authors of The Elephant in the Living Room have done a fantastic job of making the content interesting by using a conversational tone throughout the book. They’ve drawn on their experiences as parents and professionals who work with children to write a comprehensive resource for parents that is engaging and easy to understand. The book is well-organized and includes frequent headings that break up individual chapters, allowing parents to turn to the sections that address their immediate concerns. An appendix provides parents with recommended websites related to children’s television along with a list of some of today’s educational programs and the skills they address.
Christakis and Zimmerman tie it all together by giving parents suggestions for change, encouraging them to develop a plan that incorporates “mindful viewing” as well as more TV-free fun.
