Is There a TV in Every (Bed) Room?

Nature programs, historical documentaries, game shows that test your mind—it’s all good stuff on your television. However, some dangerous and alarming programming is on the TV too! By high school graduation, most children will have spent more hours watching TV than learning in the classroom.¹ They are influenced by the thousands of commercials seen each year, many of which are for alcohol, junk food, fast foods, and toys.

Children think it’s great to have their own TV set in their bedroom, because “all [their] friends have one.” But this practice keeps the family separated, cuts down on family time, and makes it harder for adults to monitor what children are watching. You can control the use of TV in your home so it is a source of entertainment and education for your family and not a negative influence—one that includes violent situations and bad language.

What To Do

Young children should not spend a lot of time watching TV alone because some programs have adult content that’s not healthy for young people. Your parental guidance and support is important to your children’s healthy development.

Be a good example. Spend your own free time on activities other than watching TV—activities such as reading, working on a hobby, or gardening.

Here are some other ways that you can help children to have safer TV viewing experiences:

• Decide with your children which shows they can watch, and then watch with them. You might decide to do something different—rent movies and videos that everyone will enjoy or watch old family videos of birthday celebrations, weddings, and other special occasions.
• Talk about specific situations, topics, and issues in a particular program that may be confusing to them or depict values that are different from yours.
• Discuss the ads with your children. TV advertising can be enticing, even for adults. For young people, ads for beer and malt drinks can give the impression that it’s fun to drink and that people who drink have great lives. Talk with your kids about the facts of alcohol.²
• Set limits for TV watching. Switch off the TV set during mealtimes. Use this time to talk about what went on during each family member’s day.
• Remind your children that the rules are the same away from home. While they are at their friends’ homes, your children may obey your rules and not be tempted to watch shows that are off limits in their own home.

Above all, keep the lines of communication open with humor and laughter!

Sources

Additional Resources

The Nemours Foundation, February 2005, How TV Affects Your Child, last referenced 2/12/2008.