Television in Moderation----- Final Draft

Television in moderation


The debate over television viewing stems from the fact that it has the power to fascinate and transfix its audience. Viewers may decide to watch a one-hour educational program, find themselves immobilized by TV’s power, and end up “watching” longer than originally planned. As adults, Americans have this very problem, one their children are developing as well. Depriving children of television because of older generations’ inability to delegate their time will not solve anything. Children should be allowed to watch television in moderation and under parental guidance. For decades, experts have researched the effects of television on children, being torn between allowing children full reign over the remote or the need to establish guidelines. Television is not necessarily a negative form of entertainment, but when misused, it can have negative effects on a developing mind. There is a middle ground that must be found involving children and the extent to which they watch television. As a society, with such an emphasis on entertainment, it would be impractical to remove television from one’s life. Television has become a staple in today’s world with “59.5 million children in the television audience: 16.0 million children aged 2–5, 22.2 million aged 6–11, and 21.3 million children aged 12–17” (Alexander 2002). It is unreasonable to believe these millions of children are simply going to stop watching television, therefore it is necessary to ensure that what children watch is “quality” programming; we must find television’s positive aspects and utilize them to our advantage.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has recommended that children under the age of two should not be exposed to any screen media, and parents should limit older children’s television use to no more than 2 hours a day. Research shows that kids who watch an excessive amount of television have a shorter attention span and decreased mental persistence (Sinovic 2006). For most Americans, television use is a default activity, filling in the majority of free time for both children and adults. Children spend large percentages of their time watching television, more than in any other single activity except sleeping (Huston & Wright 1999). Therefore, it is essential to promote the viewing of quality programming, while providing them with social and mind-challenging activities. Research suggests social interaction is required for proper brain development, and it is assumed that time spent watching television would promote anti-social behavior in children by taking away time spent with parents, siblings, and other children. One possible solution is having a family television schedule in order to deviate from this anti-social behavior. Choosing certain programs to watch together as a family each week would help to promote family bonding. After the scheduled program is over, turning the television off, instead of channel surfing, would eliminate mindless television watching. Offering fun alternatives to television such as board games, reading together, crafts, and playing outside adds to the quality social interaction that tends to be lacking due to excessive television watching (American Journal of Pediatrics 2008).

Currently, there is no standard definition for “quality children programming.” Though, in a recent study, six categories were developed to set the standards for quality programming: instructional excellence, distinctive program characteristics, production excellence, age appropriateness, diversity, and prestigious participants (Alexander 383). Television not only provides a source of education, but can be a healthy form of entertainment if used in moderation. Smart Television Alliance (2008) suggests programs such as: Arthur, Charlie and Lola, Sesame Street, Reading Rainbow, Handy Manny, Wonder Pets!, and Dora the Explorer as programs suitable for children. Television is now present in the lives of most children around the world, suggesting that it can be an influential teacher. The last three decades of research on children and television demonstrates that children can, and do, learn from the content presented on television programs. Additionally, young children’s “readiness to learn about new and unfamiliar things makes television an especially effective teacher about people, ideas, and events outside of the child’s own experience” (Wartella 222). In today’s society, there is a need to extend television programming to teach a full curriculum, from cognitive skills to feelings and dispositions, including the ways children think about and behave toward people who might look or seem different than they are. Children benefit from programs that aim to address cultural differences. According to Wartella (2004), “Sesame Street is a great example of ‘quality’ programming. In the last 35 years, they have harnessed the power of television to transcend physical and cultural borders, to influence lives, and to prepare children to flourish and learn in our ever more connected world” (223). Programs such as Sesame Street give children the opportunity to learn while being entertained.

American society’s views about television, and its effect on children’s behavior and overall development, are widely misconstrued. In actuality, children absorb more from direct social contact then they do from television. In a study where the amount of television exposure was correlated with children’s letters to Santa, children who watch television requested more branded items than children who watched less television. However, the children’s requests did not correlate with the most frequently advertised toy products on television. Almost 90% of the toys advertised did not appear once in the children’s letters. However, the study found that children who watched television alone are more susceptible to advertising (Pine 531). These results suggest that television’s effects on children are situational. A child’s atmosphere has more of an influence on moral reasoning and consumer habits than television was once thought to. If parents teach their children to be savvy consumers by discussing their children’s opinions while watching programs together, asking their opinions, and explaining the purpose of commercials and advertisements, then advertising on television would not be an issue. Children need to understand that advertisements are made to make children think that those products will make them happy; talking to kids about reality will help put things into perspective.

Allowing your child to watch television has advantages, but plopping a child in front of the screen and giving him full reign is not going to endorse positive behavior. A good alternative would be to monitor what the child watches with parental control ratings. According to the Federal Communications Commission(2008), “In 1996 Congress asked the broadcasting industry to establish a voluntary ratings system for TV programs. The industry did so by creating the ratings system known as ‘TV Parental Guidelines.’” Ratings appear in the corner of all television screens during the first 15 seconds of each program. There are six possible ratings, but the first three are the only ones suitable for children: TV-Y (All Children) found only in children’s shows, means that the show is appropriate for all children, TV-7 (Directed to Older Children) found only in children’s shows, means that the show is most appropriate for children age 7 and up, and TV-G (General Audience) means that the show is suitable for all ages but is not necessarily a children’s show. TV-Y ratings and TV-7 ratings mean that these shows contain mild fantasy violence or comedic violence that may frighten younger children (FCC 2008). The parental guidelines were developed to ensure that children watch age appropriate television. These guidelines are a tool; it is the parents’ responsibility to use their own discretion in choosing what programs are appropriate for their children to watch.

Dr. Walsh, the President of National Institute on Media and the Family, and many other experts, agree that parents should establish family rules for television viewing. Experts suggest to: watch TV with kids, discuss with them what was just watched, question what was seen on TV, and watch selected shows, not just whatever is on. If they see violent images or negative stereotypes, talk to them about it. Explain that these things are bad—and why—and talk about what real violence does to people (Sinovic 2006). Those who blame television for the “erosion of standards of decency” are often contradicted by those who argue that family, not television, provides the most important role model for children (Krcmar 267). Whereas television may provide a model that influences various behaviors ranging from sharing to aggression, children learn as much from live models as they do from mediated ones. Parents who model positive behavior tend to have children who behave in a similar positive way (Vandewater 609). Children are more likely to utilize moral reasoning if their families talk to them about moral issues. Open family discussion about moral dilemmas may help generate, moderate, and change children’s moral schemas (Krcmar 268). "Watching television with your children is a time you can share with them and it enables you to see exactly what they're learning," says Marjorie J. Hogan, M.D. (Sinovic 2006). When possible, limit viewing to educational shows, news (for children of appropriate age), and occasional entertainment, not as a means of constant escapism. Children need to learn that entertainment comes not from a screen but from self-generated activities.

Experts say that moderation is essential to a healthy diet. This same concept is true for television usage. Moderation is necessary in order for children to form a healthy relationship with television. If television is used respectfully and in moderation, then its advantages far surpass its disadvantages. Children can utilize television for more than just entertainment purposes. As stated previously, programs such as Sesame Street, Dora the Explorer, and Reading Rainbow are all guided toward educational, social, and cultural development, while still providing healthy forms of entertainment. In order to reap the many benefits that television has to offer, parents must control their children’s television intake. Through moderation, family television guidelines, and quality programming, children can develop a healthy relationship connecting both television entertainment and social development.







Work Cited


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“The V-Chip: Putting Restrictions on What Your Children Watch.” Federal Communications Commission. 2 November 2006. 4 April 2008.
http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/vchip.html

Huston, Aletha, John C. Wright, Janet Marquis, Samuel B. Green. “How Young Children Spend their Time: Television and Other Activities.” Developmental Psychology 35.4 (1999): 912 –925.

Krcmar, Marina,Vieira, Edward T. Jr. “Imitating Life, Imitating Television: The Effects of Family and Television Models on Children's Moral Reasoning.” Communication Research 32.3(June 2005): 267-294.

“Parenting Corner: Q &A.” American Academy of Pediatrics. 10 April 2008.

Pine, Karen J., Nash, Avril. “Dear Santa: The effects of television advertising on young children.”International Journal of Behavioral Development 26.6 (Nov. 2002): 529-539.

“Quality TV for Children.” Smart Television Alliance. 9 April 2008.
www.smartalliancetelevision.org

Sinovic, Dianna. “How to Limit What Your Children Watch on TV.” National Institute on Media and the Family. 17 April 2006. 4 April 2008.
http://www.wvhc.staywellsolutionsonline.com/RelatedItems/1,974

Vandewater, Elizabeth A., Park, Seoung-Eun, Huang, Xuan, Wartella, Ellen A. "No—You Can’t Watch That: Parental Rules and Young Children’s Media Use.” American Behavioral Scientist 48.5 (Jan. 2005): 608-623.

Wartella, Ellen. Knell, Gary E. “Raising a World-Wise Child And the Power of Media: The Impact of Television on Children’s Intercultural Knowledge.” Phi Delta Kappan 86.3 (Nov. 2004): 222-224.