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How violent is too violent? How much intimacy is too much? It's difficult to find a movie, video game or television show that doesn't have violence, swearing, sexual activity, or crudity. Just try to find a current "child's" movie that doesn't play on a child's worst fears: the death or disappearance of a parent -- and/or being left lost and alone. And older, "classic" movies often incorporate stereotypes, bigotry, chauvinism or xenophobia that -- at the time the movie was made were commonplace, but that today aren't acceptable. It can seem that there are few choices for child entertainment that isn't violent, profane, rude, intolerant or silly. Oftentimes, an otherwise gentle movie will have scenes of shocking adult irresponsibility -- such as allowing a child in a boat without a life jacket, or allowing children to ride a motorcycle without a helmet.
Reality versus fantasy -- Many parents believe children know the difference between reality and fantasy. They believe children aren't frightened of make-believe, or that small children aren't affected by violence or sexual content of movies. They rely on name recognition of stars and directors and don't feel it necessary to pre-screen movies. But a growing number of mental health professionals and child advocates believe that children are more affected than they're letting on -- and that a steady stream of rude, profane or violent behavior serves to undercut their sense of security - not to mention their understanding of important values such as compassion, trust, faith, gentleness, and responsibility.
Good Entertainment -- Good entertainment is out there; one just has to be dedicated to finding it. For younger children, Safer Child believes parents can feel fairly safe with Public Television, Peanuts, Winnie The Pooh, Barney, Mr. Rogers, Blue's Clues, Sesame Street (although some of the newer Sesame Street movies might be frightening or overwhelming to a younger child), Spot, Clifford, Arthur, The Magic School Bus, Franklin, and others... There are several older movies that might satisfy both a parent and an older child. A few current movies are appropriate for older children, too -- but we can't emphasize enough the importance of prescreening them (or watching them with your child) and withstanding the inevitable "but Mom!" if they don't meet your standards. See these pages for other family-friendly entertainment suggestions:
Connection Between Child Aggression and Poor Entertainment Choices -- A January 2001 study in Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine found that reducing children's time spent watching television or playing video games might make them less aggressive - both verbally and physically - with classmates.
Turning it Off: Here are a few suggestions for encouraging your children to watch less television:
Parents are their children's best censor. Parents have the power -- if they will just take it -- of making sure their children only see what's appropriate.
Give Your Child An Easy Way to Say NO -- Many times, children really do want to say no, but just don't know how. So make a deal with your child: If your child is out with friends and is feeling pressured to watch something he knows he shouldn't, he can ask you if he "absolutely has to come home." Those words will be a signal to you that he needs you to be the bad guy and demand that he comes home right now. But if he's just having fun and wants to stay out, he can ask you if he "can stay out longer." Those words will alert you that everything's OK.
Filtering Devices -- There are also Internet filtering devices available. The National Coalition for the Protection of Children and Families reviews Internet filtering devices on its site FilterReview.com -- and also includes customer comments. The Entertainment Software Rating Board rates computer and video games - 1-800-771-ESRB. Bear in mind that what you consider to be unacceptable content may not match what the software authors consider unacceptable. Buy filtering software carefully. For more on Safe Web Surfing, see the Safer Child Safe Surfing Page.
Issues of Censorship -- Safer Child is not advocating government censorship. With certain limited exceptions, we do not believe the government should be in the business of deciding what the people should see and hear. We can't emphasize it enough: Parents are their children's best censor. Parents have the power -- if they will take it -- of making sure their children see only what's appropriate.
Video Games Violent, Not Diverse -- In December, 2001, Children Now conducted a study of the top 10 best-selling video games. The study found that nearly all of the heroes in the games were white males. Women represented 16% of human characters, and were most likely to be props or bystanders. Some 86% of black women were portrayed as victims of violence. There were no Latina characters at all. The study also reported that 89% of the games contained violent content, half of which resulted in serious harm to game characters. The consequences of the violence were rarely shown, however, and the victims appeared unaffected by the violence against them. The violent acts were usually justified, and they always resulted in rewards to the players. The Entertainment Software Rating Board rates computer and video games - 1-800-771-ESRB.
Try Reading Instead -- Safer Child is an avid promoter of reading -- reading to your child, reading with your child, having your child read to you, or even just showing pictures in books to your baby. Turn off the electronic equipment, and make reading a regular and important part of your day. You can read a few books to your child as a regular part of bedtime. Your child can look at books while toilet training (takes the pressure off). Your child can read or look at books while waiting in cars, on buses or in doctor's offices. You can make going to the library (with the child's own library card) a weekly activity. Reading is fun, it's generally a safe activity, and the more reading a child learns to do, the more learning he or she is likely to do.
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Safer Child, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization with federal tax-exempt status. Please note: 1) External organizations listed herein do not necessarily endorse Safer Child positions, nor do we necessarily endorse theirs. We list them as a courtesy and aren't responsible for their accuracy, completeness or content. 2) We recommend you maintain a healthy skepticism when reviewing information on the Internet; it might appear to be reliable -- yet actually be false, misleading, incomplete, out-of-date and/or intentionally harmful. 3) There might be material on the Internet that you disagree with or find objectionable; preview all sites before viewing them with your child. 4) We are not responsible for external addresses/phone numbers changing without our knowledge. 5) The information and commentary on this site are not substitutes for professional advice from your doctor, lawyer, or mental health professional. 6) Requests for permission to republish, copy and/or distribute any material found on this Web site should be directed to Safer Child, Inc.
Copyright 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 Safer Child, Inc. All rights reserved. |
