Children In A Multi-Media World

Saturday, March 1, 2003

Protecting Children In A Multi-Media World (NAPSA)—Millions of American children watch billions of hours of television each year. are useful starting points in pro- viding general guidance, but the more you know, the better Many of them also go to movies and play video games. Taken together, TV, motion pictures, video, newspapers and magazines reach—and influence—today’s equipped you will be to set stan- dards for your family. There are products for your TV, and some cable and satellite systems and children virtually from birth. internet portals have tools that can help you block out certain are truly a media generation. Use TV timeas an opportunity to talk. If you watch tele- More than any other nation’s youth, children in the U.S. today programming. Many parents are not aware of the negative influences media mayhaveontheir children. Multiple media sources have tremen- It’s important for parents to help children understand the media vision with your child, you can spot content that might be confus- ing or upsetting and take the time images around them. to discuss it on the spot. You can dren mayalso be negatively affective by them. ents and other concerned adults encourage healthy media habits. This Web site is a user-friendly, help. The Internet offers an cates that exposure to television youth violence prevention. Thefol- dous value as learning tools and as positive stimuli, but some chilSocial science research conducted over the past 40 years indi- violence can producethefollowing effects: Encourage children to learn aggressive behavior andattitudes; Cultivate fears and pessimistic ideas in their minds aboutlife in the real world; and Desensitize them to realworld and fantasyviolence. While there’s less research available that focuses on other, newer media, preliminary research indicates that violent video games or Web content may prove to have similar influences. And aschildren become more and more computerliterate, monitoring their online activities presents concerned par- ents with very real challenges. New Resources for Parents The National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center (NYVPRC) has assembled current resources on the Web site www.safeyouth.org to help par- single point of access to reliable information on all aspects of lowing tips were gathered from materials available from the Resource Center: Keep track of what chil- dren watch, when, and for how long. Healthy use of media begins with knowing what your children have access to, and what they choose. Watch with them, and help your children make informed choices. e Establish boundaries, explain them andstick to them. Parents know better than anyone also turn such content off—and explain your reasonsto yourchild. Online technologies can unlimited world of information and activity; it can also be a scary and potentially dangerous place for children, especially if their parents are not aware of what the children are accessing. There are a numberof available technologies that block access to unsuitable material that parents can learn about and put to use. Offer other options. Par- ents can plan other activities with their children, such as reading, board games, art projects and museum visits that provide oppor- tunities for their children to be active and creative. whatis and is not appropriate for The National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center was harmful imagery. You can restrict your children’s media access to information on violence commit- and programs that meet your standards and have your family’s www.safeyouth.org, call toll-free their children, and can set “house rules” to protect children from include only the games, movies, established as a central source of ted by and against young people. For more information, log on to seal of approval. Governmentrat- 1-866-SAFEYOUTH (723-3968), 1-800-243-7012 (TTY), 301-562- vies, games, music, and videos safeyouth.org. ing systems for television, mo- 1001 (FAX), or e-mail NYVPRC@

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