An Argument for Media Literacy
Strategies for Parents
What You Can Do
Guide to TV Listings

Has your pediatrician given you advice on your child's TV viewing? In August, the American Academy of Pediatrics identified our children's TV habits as a national health hazard, contributing to kids' obesity, and serving them an unhealthy portion of murder, consequence-free sex and commercial messages every year.

The average American child watches television for 3 to 4 hours each day—by age 18, that's more time spent in front of the TV than in a classroom. And each year, his experience of the world through commercial TV will include:

• 8,000 murders
• 14,000-plus sexual references
• 20,000 commercial messages.

The pediatricians' most controversial recommendation is that parents avoid television for children under 2 years of age. "While certain television programs may be promoted to this age group," AAP's press release read, "research on early brain development shows that babies and toddlers have a critical need for direct interactions with parents and other significant care givers for healthy brain growth and the development of appropriate social, emotional, and cognitive skills." Time spent with media like television, AAP's Committee on Public Education concluded, displaces involvement in creative, active and social pursuits.

"It's easy to plop them down in front of the TV," said Dr. Michael Cupoli, a pediatrician at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago. "It's wrong, but a lot of us do things wrong because we're too tired, we're overwhelmed or we just don't know better."

Dr. Cupoli said the no-TV policy echoes the decade-long efforts of pediatricians to get parents to read to children as young as 6 months old. "Infants respond in ways that adults don't think of," he said. "They don't just respond to somebody's voice or sight, but to touch or smell—even an aura of being wanted. TV interferes with that —it's a two-dimensional response."

The policy does recognize potential benefits of media use for children—including educational television, thought-provoking magazine articles and educational computer software—but also warns of potential health risks for children and adolescents.

"Children who spend a lot of time in front of the TV set tend to gain weight," said Dr. Miriam Bar-on, assistant professor of pediatrics at Louisiana State University in New Orleans and a member of the Committee on Public Education. "Obesity is a physical health issue."

Robert Lichter, president of nonprofit research group the Center for Media and Public Affairs, said the AAP's statement is part of a trend to recast some social problems as public health problems. He also noted recent efforts by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to treat gun use as a public health issue. "It's not a bad thing for health professionals to remind parents that they need to be aware of the risks," he said. "If you're worried about what your kid eats, you should worry about what your kid's watching."

The policy points out that over 1,000 scientific studies and reviews found that significant exposure to media violence increases the risk of aggressive behavior in certain children and adolescents, desentizes them to violence and may lead them to believe that the world is a meaner, scarier place than it is.

The AAP suggests parents create an "electronic media-free" environment in children's rooms. "Their bedrooms should be a sanctuary, a place where kids can reflect on what happened that day, where they can sit down and read a book," said Dr. Bar-on. She said TV sets and computers should be placed in the family room or home office instead.

Pediatricians are also counseled to incorporate questions about media into routine child health visits. "With an educated understanding of media images and messages, users can recognize media's potential effects and make good choices about their and their children's media exposure," the policy states.

An Argument for Media Literacy

Research strongly suggests that media education may result in young people becoming less vulnerable to negative aspects of media exposure, the AAP says. In some studies, heavy viewers of violent programming were less accepting of violence or showed decreased aggressive behavior after a media education intervention. Another study found a decrease in desire to drink alcohol after a media education program.

Media literacy is meant to turn viewers into critical thinkers, so they can evaluate what they see against their own life experiences and value systems. The AAP says a media-educated person understands that:

• all media messages are constructed or produced
• media messages shape our understanding of the world
• individuals interpret media messages uniquely
• mass media has powerful economic implications.

Canada, Great Britain, Australia and some Latin American countries have successfully incorporated media education into school curricula. "Common sense would suggest that increased media education in the United States could represent a simple, potentially effective approach to combating the myriad of harmful media messages seen or heard by children and adolescents," the AAP policy statement says.

Kathleen Tyner, author of Media & You: An Elementary Media Literacy Curriculum and Literacy in a Digital World: Teaching and Learning in the Age of Information writes, "Media literacy requires the 'reader' to think independently, to question and to reflect on answers. Media literacy is an ideal that constantly negotiates the tension between knowledge and power." That power should move from the producer of the message to the viewer.

Strategies for Parents

High-quality, nonviolent children's shows can have a positive effect on learning. Studies have shown that preschool children who watch educational TV programs may have better reading, math and socialization skills than children who do not watch those programs. The AAP and many media literacy professionals offer a number of strategies for parents to develop positive television viewing habits in children.

1. Give Other Options
   Watching TV can become a habit for a child. Diversify his activity by including playing, reading, activities with family and friends, learning a hobby, sport, music instrument or other another form of expression.

   Of course, not every moment of a child's day needs to be or should be scheduled. "Down time" away from media is a necessary part of developing intrinsic motivation and understanding one's own creative process. With the visual image, there's not much need to use the imagination; the temptation to fill leisure time with TV should be avoided.

2. Set a Good Example
   Parents are the most important role model for children. Limiting your own TV viewing and choosing programs carefully will help kids do the same.

3. Set Limits
   AAP suggests that children should not spend much more than 1-2 hours a day watching TV and movies or playing video and computer games. Children should not watch TV while doing homework.

   Since children under 12 need much more time "doing" rather than viewing. Gloria DeGaetano, a national media literacy consultant and author of Television and the Lives of Our Children, suggests limiting TV and video use to 5 to 7 hours a week. To help develop a healthy attention span, DeGaetano writes, have a child spend twice as much time immersed in language activities than he or she spends watching TV. (Such activities include listening to audio story tapes, perhaps an appropriate substitute to occupy the child while a parent needs to get something done. The tapes are available at many libraries.)

4. Plan a Child's Viewing
   Program guides and the TV ratings system were designed to help parents find the right shows for their children. As part of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, Congress directed television manufacturers to install a devise called the v-chip into every TV with a screen bigger than 13" by 2000. The v-chip will allow parents to program the TVs to block programming with objectionable content based on an industry rating system called the TV Parents Guidelines. The ratings apply to all TV programs—both broadcast and cable—except news and sports. They can be found in local TV listings and at the start of a program.

5. Watch TV with Children and Find the Right Message
   Young children can have trouble distinguishing between a show and a commercial, a cartoon and real life. Watching and discussing a show with a child can help them tell the difference between what's real and what's make-believe. Newscasts or reality-based shows may contain violent material and young children may worry that what they see could happen to them or their family.

   Sometimes even poor programming can offer the opportunity for a lesson. When a child and parent see a show that portrays people as stereotypes, they can combat the images with a discussion of the real-life roles of women, the elderly and people of races that may not often be shown on TV.

   Gloria DeGaetano provides strategies for turning television viewing from a passive activity into something more productive and educational—like a "visual book," she writes. Her suggestions include:

   • Make predictions. Get kids involved in guessing what will happen during the program. Emphasizing imagination and fun over "getting the right answers," after watching the show, confirm which parts of the prediction occurred and which parts didn't, but could have.

   • Help children concentrate and sustain attention. Help build concentration skills by helping kids focus on important aspects of the show—like the arrival of a favorite character.

   • Retell the story. Parents can help develop a child's thinking skills—including sequencing events and recalling details—by asking them to retell the story after the program ends.

   • Discuss moods and emotions. Discussing a character's feelings can help children see the relationship between inner motives and outward actions.

   • Point out context clues. Context clues help kids understand what they read and view. Learning to spot context clues can lead children to higher-level thinking as they watch.

   • Focus on personal relevance. Asking a child why they like a program, or what they liked best about what they've seen, can help them make a personal connection to programs and develop interests.

   • Lead from your own curiosity. The joy of discovery is contagious. When television shows with educational potential are chosen, it is easier for parents to get excited and to encourage children with statements like: "I didn't know that, did you?" or "What do you think of that?"

6. Help Your Child Resist Commercials
   Explain the purpose of commercials to children—that they are intended to make people want things they may not need. Limit the number of commercials kids see by viewing shows on public television stations or taping shows and skipping commercials.

   A poll commissioned by the New American Dream, a non-profit that advocates that Americans cut down on consumption, raises concerns about children and advertising. In a poll of 400 parents with children ages 2 to 17, New American Dream found that:

   • 87 percent think advertising aimed at kids makes them too materialistic
   • 78 percent say ads put too much pressure on children to buy things
   • 63 percent said their children defined his/her self-worth more by possession than their parents did at that age
   • 55 percent said they bought something for their child that was too expensive and junk just because the child wanted it
   • 31 percent felt their spouse had to work longer hours to pay for things the child felt it needed. New American Dream states that $2 billion was spent on children's advertising in 1998 which is over 20 times that spent just 10 years ago.

7. Look for Quality Children's Videos and Programming
   The Coalition for Quality Children's Media evaluates and rates children's media using a national jury of adult professionals and children of diverse socioeconomic, geographic, and ethnic backgrounds. To gain an endorsement, a program cannot contain any gratuitous violence or sexuality; physical or verbal abuse; bias in terms of race, gender, culture or religion; condescension toward children or unsafe behaviors.

   Titles are voluntarily submitted for evaluation by the suppliers. Every title is evaluated by five adult jurors—generally child development professionals—and three to six children per adult juror. CQCM also initiates public outreach programs with other national organizations to bring high quality media to underserved and at-risk children and families.

8. Know Your Rights
   Every broadcast television station must address the educational and informational needs of children, as mandated by the Children's Television Act of 1990 (CTA) and administered by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). FCC rules state that a station must air at least three hours of children's educational programming a week. Material is considered educational if it meets the intellectual/cognitive or social/emotional needs of children 16 years old or younger. The programming must be aired between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., be at least 30 minutes in length, and be scheduled regularly. Advertising time during these programs must not exceed 10.5 minutes/hour on weekends and 12 minutes on weekdays. All such programming needs to be identified at the beginning of the program and information identifying the programming must be sent to program guide publishers.

   The Children's Television Act Tool Kit also provides tools to help you monitor the implementation of the Children's Television Act. Additional information is available from the FCC.

What You Can Do

There are a number of sources for additional information including your friends that are parents and the parents of your child's friends and classmates, your local Parent/Teacher Association (PTA), your pediatrician and the AAP's Web site (www.aap.org).

Connect for Kids has a number of other resources on media and television in its feature The Early Years, including:

• <"http://www.connectforkids.org/node/59">Plugged In and Tuned Out
  An interview with David Walsh, executive director of The National Institute on Media and the Family.
• Accountability Watch: Educational TV
  FCC studies have shown that quality educational TV can help kids learn, but are stations following federal mandates to improve kids' TV diet?

Check Out Your Child's Media Choices
The National Institute on Media and the Family provides independent reviews, developed with input from experts and parents, give parents information about violence, language, character traits, and sexual content in an easy to understand format.

Tools to Use to Help You Choose
Your local Cable TV operator has a toolbox for parents to understand the voluntary TV ratings code. The toolbox contains a 9-minute video with Bob Keeshan (aka Captain Kangaroo), a user-friendly brochure, and a summary of the code on a peel-off sticker for your remote control.

Viewing with Kids in Mind
Ever wondered why a particular movie is rated R or PG-13? This parents' guide goes a step farther to inform adults about potentially objectionable content in movies and videos. Kids in Mind doesn't offer a thumbs up or thumbs down—it simply alerts parents to what's in the movies so they can make better viewing decisions.

Get Connected: the Campaign for Kids TV
The Campaign for Kids TV aims to improve the quality of children's television through public education and organizing. Check out "The Children's Television Act in its Second Year, 1999 Report." The report provides a closer look at some of the key questions surrounding the programs television broadcasters are airing to fulfill their obligations to children and families—and about those aspects of CTA that still need attention.

"As the marketplace for children's programming continues to expand across both broadcast and cable television," the report concludes, "it is crucial for parents and policymakers, educators and advocates to collaboratively ensure the quality of educational fare for children. The Children's Television Act, if monitored closely, can encourage this climate of quality media for children."

Express Your Views
The AAP emphasized that media education should not be used as a substitute for careful scrutiny of the media industry's responsibility for its programming. Let television stations, networks and sponsors know when you see something you don't like on TV.

If you think an advertisement is misleading, write down the product name, channel and time you saw the commercial and describe your concerns. Let your local Better Business Bureau know or send the information to:
Children's Advertising Review Unit
Council of Better Business Bureaus
845 Third Ave.
New York, NY 10022

The FCC encourages citizens to first contact stations when they have complaints since the station is responsible for its content. When no progress is made at this level, the FCC will consider complaints. All comments or complaints should include the following: 1) call letters of the station, 2) city and state, 3) specifics about the matter, 4) name of anyone you contacted at the station(s), and 5) a statement of the problem along with a recording of the program, if possible.

Complaints should be directed to:
Federal Communications Commission
Enforcement Division, Mass Media Bureau
445 12th St, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20554
202-418-1430
202-418-1124 (f)
complaints-enf@fcc.gov

The FCC maintains a homepage on children's television.

Guide to TV listings

• TV-Y. (All Children). This program is designed to be appropriate for all children.) Whether animated or live-action, the themes and elements in this program are specifically designed for a very young audience, including children from ages 2 to 6. This program is not expected to frighten younger children.

• TV-Y7. (Directed to Older Children: This program is designed for children age 7 and above.) It may be more appropriate for children who have acquired the developmental skills needed to distinguish between make-believe and reality. Themes and elements in this program may include mild fantasy or comedic violence, or may frighten children under the age of 7. Therefore, parents may wish to consider the suitability of this program for their very young children. Note: Those programs where fantasy violence may be more intense or more combative should be designated TV-Y7-FV.

For programs designed for the entire audience, the general categories are:

• TV-G. (General Audience: Most parents would find this program suitable for all ages.) Although this rating does not signify a program designed specifically for children, most parents may let younger children watch this program unattended. It contains little or no violence, no strong language and little or no sexual dialogue or situations.

• TV-PG. (Parental Guidance Suggested: This program contains material that parents may find unsuitable for younger children.) Many parents may want to watch it with their younger children. The theme itself may call for parental guidance and/or the program contains one or more of the following: moderate violence (V), some sexual situations (S), infrequent coarse language (L), or some suggestive dialogue (D).

• TV-14. (Parents Strongly Cautioned:This program contains some material that many parents would find unsuitable for children under 14 years of age.) Parents are strongly urged to exercise greater care in monitoring this program and are cautioned against letting children under the age of 14 watch unattended. This program contains one or more of the following: intense violence (V), intense sexual situations (S), strong coarse language (L), or intensely suggestive dialogue (D). An example of this would be UPN's "World Wrestling Smackdown," which despite its TV-14 rating, had over a million viewers aged 2-14 when it premiered this summer.

• TV-MA. (Mature Audience Only: This program is specifically designed to be viewed by adults and therefore may be unsuitable for children under 17. This program contains one or more of the following: graphic violence (V), explicit sexual activity (S), or crude indecent language (L).

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Kevin Taglang is senior telecommunications policy analyst for the Benton Foundation's Communications Policy and Practice program.