Mind Control - What TV is doing to our Children

TV has come a long way since The Ed Sullivan Show refused to show Elvis Presley below the waist due to those madly swiveling hips.

But for as much as the television landscape has changed, the central concerns about its effects on a child's psyche and behavior have not changed at all.

And neither have the questions about what responsible parents can do to keep their children from being exposed to inappropriate programs.
"Large corporations are into the market of delivering sex and violence to kids, and it's amazing how passive parents have become due to busy schedules or just ignorance,"
"When we were children, I remember Tom and Jerry bopping each other over the head with a mallet, and we laughed.
Today's shows are much more overtly violent and profane."
Despite this increase in violence levels on television, it is important to resist the temptation to simply blame violent programs for violent behavior.
"Research does not suggest that watching violence increases violent behavior, but it does suggest that some kids are at risk of translating what they see into behavior,"
"Parents should monitor their children and become more involved in their viewing, too often, the TV is used as a babysitter.
Know what your child is watching and limit their time in front of the TV – there is so much more to do than sit around it all day".

Making a Plan

Aside from paying closer attention and making rules to regulate viewing,
what can parents do to get their children's attention when it comes to implementing a change in viewing habits?

First, parents must familiarize themselves with what their children are watching, once a parent has a better grasp on exactly what is being watched, it is easier to determine which shows should be prohibited and to decide how to limit the number of overall hours children are watching.
　
"One system to limit TV would be to give kids a certain number of tokens each week, each of which can be exchanged for watching a half-hour of TV,"
"Educational shows might not require any tokens, while shows with greater Adult or Supervisory content might require two or three tokens."



Any system of limiting viewership is more likely to be successful if the following steps are followed:

Parents or other adults must be around enough of the time to supervise television watching.
Parents should sit down with children, communicate understanding about why the children enjoy these shows and then provide an explanation as to why they want to reduce television viewing.
Parents can offer healthy rewards for cooperating with the plan, such as a weekend trip to the bowling alley or some other outdoor activity.
Parents should encourage alternate activities to television viewing to prevent boredom or sibling squabbles.

Television is not harmful, it's just entertainment!

But can the steady flow of images watched nightly from television screens across the country be so easily dismissed as simply entertainment?

If the sheer volume of absorbed images is considered, how can what is shown on television have no effect on one's own mental images?

And if new mental images are created, shouldn't it be logical to say that they can have an effect on behavior?

But the argument that television has a significant effect on children should not rely on studies alone, but on common sense.

 When a child is placed in front of the television his focus cannot be diverted and his gaze cannot be broken.
That child only has eyes for the video screen.
The bright colors, quick movements and sudden flashes capture the child's attention.
Only the rare child finds the television completely uninteresting.
Even if only cartoons are watched, most children find the images presented on the television set mesmerizing.

Television programs have the power to influence a child's entire daily schedule.

"They say they that they go to school "after Huckleberry Hound,"
eat a TV dinner "during Gilligan's Island," and
go to bed "after Charlie's Angels,"
Their whole day is controlled by what's on TV!

"Each year children read less and less and watch television more and more.
In fact, Americans of all ages watch more television each year,"
　

"The typical child sits in front of the television about four hours a day -- and for children in lower socioeconomic families the amount of time thus spent is even greater.
In either case, the child spends more time with TV than he or she spends talking to parents, playing with peers, attending school, or reading books.
TV time usurps family time, play time, and the reading time that could promote language development."
　

A highly active child will remain inactive while watching TV because that is what the medium requires.
In order to receive stimulation from the television, the child must be passive, and accept the predetermined flow rate of the images.
Both mind and body are passive (called an alpha state) allowing the child to concentrate on the vast, and often fast, array of bright pictures.


If the most recent survey is accurate, the odds are that what children are watching is probably violent.
Viewing large amounts of TV violence does not necessary cause a child to act more violently, but it can contribute to promoting a view that violence is commonplace in everyday life as well as creating a heightened fear of being assaulted on the street.

Most kids plug into the world of television long before they enter school, two-thirds of infants and toddlers watch a screen an average of 2 hours a day kids under age 6 watch an average of about 2 hours of screen media a day, primarily TV and videos or DVDs kids and teens 8 to 18 years spend nearly 4 hours a day in front of a TV screen and almost 2 additional hours on the computer (outside of schoolwork) and playing video games.

The first 2 years of life are considered a critical time for brain development.
TV and other electronic media can get in the way of exploring, playing, and interacting with parents and others, which encourages learning and healthy physical and social development.


As kids get older, too much screen time can interfere with activities such as being physically active, reading, doing homework, playing with friends, and spending time with family
Of course, television, in moderation, can be a good thing: Preschoolers can get help learning the alphabet on public television, grade schoolers can learn about wildlife on nature shows, and parents can keep up with current events on the evening news. No doubt about it — TV can be an excellent educator and entertainer.

But despite its advantages, too much television can be detrimental:
Children who consistently spend more than 4 hours per day watching TV are more likely to be overweight.
Kids who view violent acts are more likely to show aggressive behavior but also fear that the world is scary and that something bad will happen to them.
TV characters often depict risky behaviors, such as smoking and drinking, and also reinforce gender-role and racial stereotypes.

Violence

To give you perspective on just how much violence kids see on TV, consider this:

The average American child will witness 200,000 violent acts on television by age 18.
Kids may become desensitized to violence and more aggressive.
TV violence sometimes begs for imitation because violence is often promoted as a fun and effective way to get what you want.
Many violent acts are perpetrated by the "good guys," whom kids have been taught to emulate.
Even though kids are taught by their parents that it's not right to hit, television says it's OK to bite, hit, or kick if you're the good guy.
This can lead to confusion when kids try to understand the difference between right and wrong.
And even the "bad guys" on TV aren't always held responsible or punished for their actions.

Young kids are particularly frightened by scary and violent images.
Simply telling kids that those images aren't real won't console them, because they can't yet distinguish between fantasy and reality.
Behavior problems, nightmares and difficulty sleeping may be a consequence of exposure to media violence.

Risky BehaviorsTV is full of programs and commercials that depict risky behaviors such as sex and substance abuse as cool, fun, and exciting.
And often, there's no discussion about the consequences of drinking alcohol, doing drugs, smoking cigarettes, and having premarital sex.

For example, studies have shown that teens who watch lots of sexual content on TV are more likely to initiate intercourse or participate in other sexual activities earlier than peers who don't watch sexually explicit shows.

Alcohol ads on TV have actually increased over the last few years and more underage kids are being exposed to them than ever.
And although they've banned cigarette ads on television, kids and teens can still see plenty of people smoking on programs and movies airing on TV.

This kind of "product placement" makes behaviors like smoking and drinking alcohol seem acceptable.
In fact, kids who watch 5 or more hours of TV per day are far more likely to begin smoking cigarettes than those who watch less than the recommended 2 hours a day.

Obesity

Health experts have long linked excessive TV-watching to obesity — a significant health problem today. While watching TV, kids are inactive and tend to snack.

They're also bombarded with ads that encourage them to eat unhealthy foods such as potato chips and empty-calorie soft drinks that often become preferred snack foods.

Studies have shown that decreasing the amount of TV kids watched led to less weight gain and lower body mass index (BMI — a measurement derived from someone's weight and height).






Commercials

From the junk food and toy advertisements during Saturday morning cartoons to the appealing promos on the backs of cereal boxes, marketing messages inundate kids of all ages.
And to them, everything looks ideal — like something they simply have to have.
It all sounds so appealing — often, so much better than it really is.

Under the age of 8 years, most kids don't understand that commercials are for selling a product.
Children 6 years and under are unable to distinguish program content from commercials, especially if their favorite character is promoting the product.
Even older kids may need to be reminded of the purpose of advertising.
　
Here are some practical ways to make TV-viewing more productive in your home:

1. Limit the number of TV-watching hours:
2. Stock the room in which you have your TV with plenty of other non-screen entertainment (books, kids' magazines, toys, puzzles, board games, etc.) to encourage kids to do something other than watch the tube.
3. Keep TVs out of bedrooms.
4. Turn the TV off during meals.
5. Don't allow kids to watch TV while doing homework.
6. Treat TV as a privilege to be earned — not a right.
Establish and enforce family TV viewing rules, such as TV is allowed only after chores and homework are completed.

Try a weekday ban.

Schoolwork, sports activities, and job responsibilities make it tough to find extra family time during the week. Record weekday shows or save TV time for weekends and you'll have more family togetherness time to spend on meals, games, physical activity, and reading during the week.

Set a good example

Check the TV listings and program reviews ahead of time
Choose shows that foster interest and learning in hobbies and education (reading, science, etc.).

Preview programs

Come up with a family TV schedule
Then, post the schedule in a visible area (e.g., on the refrigerator) so that everyone knows which programs are OK to watch and when.
 And make sure to turn off the TV when the "scheduled" program is over instead of channel surfing.

Watch TV together.
If you can't sit through the whole program, at least watch the first few minutes to assess the tone and appropriateness, then check in throughout the show.

Talk to kids about what they see on TV
"Do you think it was OK when those men got in that fight?
What else could they have done?
What would you have done?" Or,
"What do you think about how those teenagers were acting at that party?
 Do you think what they were doing was wrong?"
 If certain people or characters are mistreated or discriminated against, talk about why it's important to treat everyone fairly, despite their differences.
 You can use TV to explain confusing situations and express your feelings about difficult topics (sex, love, drugs, alcohol, smoking, work, behavior, family life).

Talk to other parents, your doctor, and teachers

Offer fun alternatives to television.
The possibilities for fun without the tube are endless — so turn off the TV and enjoy the quality time together.

How does Excessive Viewing of TV Affect Children?

Watching television does not increase attention, promote social skills, or foster creative play.
For older children, it is important to play, read, do homework, and talk with other children and adults for healthy development.
Language skills are best developed through reading and interaction with others.

The problem of obesity has risen.
Watching TV consumes only a few more calories than sleeping.

Becoming desensitized to real world violence.
Children imitate what they see on TV.

Recently, I read in the paper where a five year girl found her daddy's gun.
She walked into the kitchen and shot her mommy.
She couldn't understand why her mommy didn't get up like they do on TV.

Of course we cannot dismiss the power of advertising on our youth.
I cannot tell you the number of times I purchased something my seven year old daughter begged me to buy. Noticing weeks later it was tucked away never to be used again.

A perfect example was the Beanie Baby craze.
Between my wife and I we would run across town to pick the latest Beanie Baby.
Unbelievable how hypnotized we were by advertising to put a smile on our child's face.
Today, we have a bag full and they are stuffed in the attic.


And Finally!

I'll leave you with a video which includes an extract of a movie we all remember well 'NETWORK'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iEq00R1nK4