Over the next few weeks we will be looking at this topic from different angles, with the goal of learning the truth about how media impacts kids.
I think I must be in the minority, but my kids don't watch TV. I don't buy them licensed products. I don't think computers should be in elementary schools. I don't think 6th graders need cell phones. And I'm extremely concerned about advertising aimed at kids and teens.
True, my twins are only two, and it's easy to control what comes into their world. Check back with me in ten years and maybe I'll be singing a different tune. Right now its easy to say that my kids won't play video games, but later...
The thing is, I've read a lot on the subject of kids and media and I don't like what I'm finding out.
We have been so quick to jump onto the technology bandwagon, seduced by the glitz and the "coolness" factor, without any real knowledge about or regard for how the use of these products impact our children's development. Not to be outdone by the Joneses, we rush to buy our kids the latest and greatest gadget, the most powerful computers, the most elaborate video games. As a result, our kids are grossly overweight, cant focus on a still page long enough to read a book and are stalked by online predators.
Maybe that's oversimplifying a bit. But over the next few weeks we're going to take a look at kids and media. We'll talk about the books that are out there on these topics, the research, and the practicalities of limiting screen time. Most important, we'll talk about some of the largely unknown risks of excessive screen time.
Please be sure to check out "Effects of TV on Kids", for a look at how media can adversely affect the development of skills needed to academic success.
