The focus of this article will be on 0-6 year olds raised in multi-television homes and how it affects their development. We will also look at ways to prevent children from viewing material that may be inappropriate for their age. My research will show that it is ultimately up to parents to monitor what their children watch, and parents have the tools to know what is appropriate and not. The term "electronic media" will be used to describe entertainment in the form of television and video games.
A report from the Kaiser Family Foundation states that, in households considered "heavy" TV households (heavy TV households are homes where the television is left on "always" or "most of the time", whether someone is watching or not), the reading ability in those children is less. "34% of children ages 4-6 from 'heavy TV households' can read, compared to 56% of other children that age." (1) This report also has some other interesting information. It states that, "…children six and under spend an average of two hours a day… watching TV." It also asserts that TV watching starts earlier than recommended by the medical community. (Graham)
So what impact does this have on children? The impact comes from what the child is watching on the TV. What tools can we use to help us know what children are watching?
The first step in helping parents to know what is on the television is to understand the television ratings system. The web site www.tvguidelines.org has all of the ratings and a breakdown of their meaning. The ratings for television shows are as follows:
- TV-Y
- TV-Y7
- TV-Y7 FV
- TV-G
- TV-PG
- TV-14
- TV-MA
The modifiers for these TV ratings are as follows:
- FV – Fantasy Violence
- V – Moderate Violence
- S – Sexual Situations
- L – Strong Language
- D – Course Dialogue
It is also important for parents to be aware that there are content time periods for basic cable television channels. It should be noted that basic channels, such as your local channels, will not play mature themed programs prior to a certain time. We have all heard the term "Prime time" and that term denotes the time when advertisers will get the most bang for their buck. Television stations have attempted to boost the ratings during this period by showing material that may shock and awe the viewer, and make the advertisers get more watchers for their ads. This may not be a good time period for children to watch, as historically the content during these hours will be adult-oriented.
On the subject of advertising, It is important to note that children are a demographic that advertisers love. Many psychologists, in unison with marketing researchers, have created predatory ads that target children. Their motto is, if a child asks their parent enough times, the parent will buy it. Recent legislation has limited the amount of advertising that can be shown during children’s shows to help parents cope with this despicable practice.
The affect of violence and mature themes on children is debatable. One thing is for sure, children copy what they see. Do you want your children copying some of the things they see on TV? Is it the responsibility of the lawmakers and television stations to cater their content towards a certain age, or has the introduction of ratings systems, the v-chip, and password protected cable boxes helped stop children from watching inappropriate material? I cannot blame the makers of electronic media for the content, because, simply put, they are catering to what most consumers want. I can, however, blame the parents for not utilizing the tools given to them to control the images and ideas that their children see on television.
Another new electronic media form has invaded the homes and placed another responsibility on parents – video games. Video games can be played on a PC or console, such as Xbox or Playstation. They are almost exclusively used as entertainment and are not geared toward 0-6 yr old children. However, that age of child is finding time to play these games and feel the effects of its violent, first-person control. The goal of video games is the immersion in an environment that you can control. Most often these environments require violent activities to advance in the game. Are we able to say that these "unrealistic" activities can be correctly processed by children? A paper written by Craig A. Anderson has this to say about video game violence and adolescents (we can only assume that it would be true for even younger kids);
"Myth 6: There are no studies linking violent video game play to serious aggression"
Facts: High levels of violent video game exposure have been linked to delinquency, fighting at school and during free play periods, and violent criminal behavior."Myth 8: Unrealistic video game violence is completely safe for adolescents and older youths."
Facts: Cartoonish and fantasy violence is often perceived (incorrectly) by parents and public
policy makers as safe even for children. However, experimental studies with college students have consequently found increased aggression after exposure to clearly unrealistic and fantasy violent video games.
Indeed, at least one recent study found significant increases in aggression by college students after playing E-rated (for every age) violent video games.
Dr. Anderson goes on to challenge the argument that the violent tendencies children may pick up in video games affects only a small percentage of children;
"Myth 9: The effects of violent video games are trivially small."
Facts: Meta-analyses reveal that violent video game effect sizes are larger than the effect of second-hand tobacco smoke on lung cancer, the effect of lead exposure to I.Q. scores in children, and calcium intake on bone mass. Furthermore, the fact that so many youths are exposed to such high levels of video games violence further increases the societal costs of this risk factor (Rosenthal, 1986 – quoted from Anderson)
To all the parents who are unsure of the content of video games that their children play, please do some research. Video Games have a rating system and works if used by parents who understand the meanings. The following ratings are given to video games based on their content.
- EC -
- E -
- E10+ -
- T -
- M -
- AO
Let us keep in mind that entertainment is supposed to entertain us. Is society saying that the only way we can be entertained is to watch and be in control of violent images and actions? In this world we live in, do we want to be entertained with things that make us think, "Thank God that’s not real!"? This is a quote from the Media Awareness Network on Violence in the media.
"The notion of violence as a means of problem solving is reinforced by entertainment in which both villains and heroes resort to violence on a continual basis."So that must be the real reason for a 378% increase (Media Awareness Network) in violent images. Through entertainment we find the means to solve our problems.
There is another side to the story. When I was a child, I imagined playing games much like children now can play. Is there a loss of imagination, then, with fantasy being portrayed for kids in front of their eyes? Heather Robertson states in her essay: "Video Games and Young People", "...studies suggest that video games should not be viewed as restrictive but instead as vehicles by which young people can expand and enrich their imaginations as well as their concepts of individuality and their connection with the world." (Robertson) This, of course, is not talking about violent games, but the small percentage of entertaining, thought-provoking, and educational entertainment that is available if you look hard enough. As with all things, if used in moderation and monitored by parents and child care providers, electronic media can be used in conjunction with books as a tool to enrich the imagination, and help children create even more imaginative worlds to explore.
Bibliography:
Bibliography:
Graham, Hess. "New Study Finds Children Age Zero to Six Spend As Much Time With TV, Computers and Video Games As Playing Outside." 28 Oct 2003 1-3. 12 Jul 2006.
Anderson, Craig A.. "Violent Video Games: Myths, Facts, and Unanswered Questions." Psychological Science Agenda Volume 16, No. 5Oct 2003 16 July 2006.
Robertson, Heather. "Video Games and Young People - Learning, Literacy and Libraries." 12 Jul 2006.
"Violence in Media Entertainment." Media Awareness Network. 2006. The Media Awareness Network. 26 Jul 2006.
