"Raising Media Wise Kids" Saturday, March 15th, 2003

These prophetic words were uttered in 1938 by anchorman, E.B. White. The question that still remains 65 years later is, shall we stand or fall by TV? For those of us who remember getting out of bed early to sit in front of a black and white television in order to watch the test pattern before the one station came on, the convergence of TV, computer, Internet, video games, and the like is mind boggling.

That things have changed in the past 50 years is not a news flash. In 1951 mass communication or “media” was represented by radio, newspapers and emerging TV. Today the term represents a host of technological advances too numerous to list and is changing faster than “a speeding bullet”.

Dr. David Walsh, a psychologist, educator, and founder and president of the National Institute on Media and the Family believes these changes in media present the most pressing and challenging issues facing families today. He presented his ideas at the Families of Faith Annual Spring Conference on March 15. The program was hosted by University Lutheran Church of Hope, near the University of Minnesota campus. It is a beautiful church and attendees were graciously welcomed to the conference.

Dr. Walsh talked about the “spheres of influence” that shape a child as he moves through childhood and into adolescence. The family has always been the most important influence, helping to instill values and a sense of right and wrong. As the child grows older the rules of the community help to further shape the thought process and basic beliefs. Society is the third sphere but due to the bombardment of media it now has unprecedented influence in the development of our children as early as their first years. And the technology that is fueling these changes is accelerating at an unbelievable pace. In just a few years most people will have digital TV, giving us complete inter-activity and instant access to the Internet, cable TV, Instant Messaging, video games, movies, and music. Families must pay attention and take control of the situation because children and teenagers will have access to it all, good and bad.

Dr. Walsh describes these changes as a Revolution, something he defines as such a big deal that it changes the world. He likens it to the printing press, a development that had a profound influence on the Renaissance, eventually introducing literature to the masses and thereby becoming a means for political and cultural revolution. The difference between the printing press and the revolutionary changes in media is the pace of change. It took centuries from the time the printing press was developed until the written word reached the masses. In contrast, a video game developed in 1999 is almost ancient history. We have no time to waste. We must pay attention to what is happening today.

THE AVERAGE CHILD’S FREE-TIME USE PER WEEK

• Time alone with father - 30 minutes
• Time alone with mother - 2.5 hours
• Reading outside of school - 30 minutes
• Doing homework - 4 hours
• Playing video games - 7 hours
• Watching TV - 25 hours

• 82% of children play video games
• 62% of children have a TV in their bedroom

College of Education and Human Development University of Minnesota Be a parent, not a pal Say yes, but don't be afraid to say no when you need to Remember, discipline is teaching Ignore the 'attitude'- save your energy for the big stuff Lighten up Know their friends, and their friends parents LISTEN, even when you don't like what you're hearing Be clear about rules and why to you have them Teach respect by being respectful Be there, stay connected, know what they're doing LISTEN to their hopes and dreams Trust your gut- take action to keep them safe Say you don't want them to smoke, drink, use drugs or have sex, and tell them why Let them know you love them Teach them to stand up for themselves without hurting others LISTEN instead of lecturing When mistakes are made, help them learn from it Connect them to their culture and family roots Make sure they help around the house Encourage them to contribute to the community Let them know you expect the best from them Have fun together Respect their privacy Make it safe to disagree- they are learning to think for themselves Expect them to be part of family activities and rituals Listen Never Give Up

We know media is powerful and educational. The question is, what is it teaching? TV has two primary goals - advertising and entertainment. Advertisers get our attention by playing on our emotions. They can buy cheap emotional jolts through violence, sex or humor, the JPS factor - Jolts Per Show. But because we become desensitized to what we see, television must increase the frequency and/or intensity… or combine jolt factors. That might translate into “sex + humor”, "sex + violence", or in it’s worse form, “sexual violence is entertaining”. It was with caution that Dr. Walsh showed the audience portions of some of the best selling video games in the last 3-4 years. The escalation of emotional jolts in the last few years was astounding, capped off with a video game that involved having sex with prostitutes and then getting extra points for beating or killing her.

Proponents of this depraved entertainment will say it is just a game, that it does not translate into behavior. Dr. Walsh and most of the experts in the psycho-social arena will vigorously argue otherwise. It is not that every child will do exactly what he sees, but that the media is defining community values. It creates an atmosphere in which certain things can happen.

THE GOOD NEWS AND THE BAD NEWS

Media can be a positive influence

Engaging

Entertaining

Inspiring

Educational

Media can be harmful

Aggression and violence

Physical health

Literacy and school performance

• Obesity increases by 2% for every hour of TV per week
• Children who watch TV in their bedrooms are at a greater risk for obesity and don’t do well in school
• 75% of teens think sex on TV influences them (as reported by teens themselves)

WHAT CAN WE DO:

• Don’t use media as a baby sitter.
• Know what your kids watch
• NO TV or video games in the bedroom.
• Set guidelines about media use
• Practice “appointment” TV

and

Sue O'Brien is the wife of Tom, mother of four children, and grandmother of six. She is dental hygienist and manages a dental practice in Spring Lake Park. A parishioner for many years, Sue worked as a caregiver at Grace House for seven years, beginning the week it opened. Now she is looking forward to meeting new people at St. Joan of Arc as she helps out as a web reporter and photographer. Sue can be reached at remdds@prodigy.net.