When
you consider Saturday morning cartoons, computer games, advertising, and
movies, it can be worrisome to think about the media’s impact on children.
How
can you set family standards for violence and other questionable content?
A
resource called “Parenting in a TV Age,” published by the Center for Media and
Values, answered some of these questions.
First,
parents should take charge of children’s TV watching or computer-game use by
setting limits on how much they will be allowed to watch or play. Typical
limits include two hours a day, or 10 hours on a weekend.
Parents
should also encourage daily alternatives, such as sports, games, hobbies,
reading, chores, and playing with friends.
It’s
also a good idea to get a locking device on your TV to bar access to certain
cable channels and to consider similar filters for online sites.
Parents
should decide ahead of time what “strings” to attach to viewing a popular show
that may contain troublesome content. For example, children might be allowed to
watch a certain program only if they agree to spend 15 minutes afterward discussing
it with you.
Perhaps
most important of all, parents sometimes forget their crucial role as a model
for their children. Be willing to set limits on your own viewing.
Model
the media behavior you would like your children to follow.
