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Tips for Reducing Children’s Media Exposure
Thursday April 7, 2011
by Daniel Weiss
Today’s youth are immersed in electronic media. On average, 8- to 18-year olds are using 10 ¾ hours of media in just over 7 ½ hours every day. Researchers and child advocates are becoming increasingly alarmed that all this media use is negatively impacting millions of children in terms of grades, interpersonal relationships and delinquency.
Research also reveals that parents can play a significant role in reducing youth media exposure and helping their children make wise media choices. These statistics come from Generation M2: Media Use in the Lives of 8- to 18-Year Olds, published by the Kaiser Family Foundation in January 2010.
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Tip #1: Implement and enforce media rules
The majority of 8- to 18-year-olds say they don’t have any rules or have only some rules about the type of content they can access or the amount of time they can spend using media.
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52% – have rules about what they’re allowed to do on the computer
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46% – have rules about what they’re allowed to watch on TV
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30% – have rules attached to video game play
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27% – have rules about the amount of time they can spend talking on the phone
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26% – have rules related to the type of music they can listen to
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14% – have rules about the number of texts they are allowed to send
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16% – say they have no rules about content or amount of time spent with media
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26% – have some media rules that are generally enforced
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39% – report some rules, but say those rules aren’t always enforced
Children whose parents set down and enforced media rules used far less media than those who said they had no rules.
Total daily media exposure among 8- to 18-year-olds
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No media rules 12:43
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Have media rules 9:51
Media rules can take many forms. Parents are encouraged to adopt one or more of these to fit their family situation:
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Time limits on specific media devices
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Black-out periods for media use, such as after a certain time each night and while doing homework
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Rules about what type of content can be accessed through various media
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Guidelines for handling inadvertent exposure to offensive content
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Guidelines for media use outside the home, such as at a friend’s house
Parents will want to have their rules clearly spelled out, along with the consequences of breaking them. A printed form listing all the rules and signed by parents and children is a great way to communicate and enforce expectations, and also to help children learn responsibility. Even though children may not like the idea, a contract actually offers them a great deal of respect. They learn that they are responsible to make wise choices and handle the consequences of their decisions.
Tip #2: Change the home media environment
A lax media environment in the home greatly contributes to excessive youth media use. Simple things like leaving the TV on all the time or during meals can significantly increase youth media exposure.
Total media exposure among 8- to 18-year-olds
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TV left on most of the time 12:14
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TV left on only a little/never 9:05
Parents who create simple TV boundaries are communicating important priorities to their children. Parents also have the responsibility to make sure their own media use (laptops, smartphones, iPads) is reasonable and not all-consuming. Children will watch what their parents do to see if it corresponds with what they say. A good rule to remember is that children will not be more responsible than their parents.
Tip #3: Restrict media use in the bedroom
Youth media use in the bedroom has risen significantly over the last decade.
Percentage of 8- to 18-year-olds with media in their bedroom
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2009 |
2004 |
1999 |
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Radio |
75% |
84% |
86% |
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TV |
71 |
68 |
65 |
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CD player |
68 |
86 |
88 |
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DVD/VCR |
57 |
54 |
36 |
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Cable/satellite TV |
49 |
37 |
29 |
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Computer |
36 |
31 |
21 |
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Internet access |
33 |
20 |
10 |
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Video game console |
50 |
49 |
45 |
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Premium TV channels |
24 |
20 |
15 |
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TiVo/other TV recording device |
13 |
10 |
N/A |
Many of these devices can expose youth to pornography and other harmful sexual content.
One of the most important Internet safety rules is to keep the computer in a common area of the house. Perhaps it is just as important to restrict TV and video game use to common areas as well. Research has found that even just taking the TV out of the bedroom can reduce total youth media use.
Total daily media exposure among 8- to 18-year-olds
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TV in bedroom 11:56
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No TV in bedroom 7:55
Tip #4: Use technological tools to help out
Most media devices allow parents to limit their child’s access to certain functions. TVs are equipped with the V-chip, which can block programs based on their ratings. And parents can program certain channels out of the TV lineup. There are similar safety features built into TiVo and other TV recording devices. Video game consoles also offer parental restrictions. There are numerous options for the home computer, including monitoring and filtering software, email, IM and chat room monitoring, time blocking and more. Even cellphones have safety features that can be enacted before even leaving the store.
Parents need to research all the safety options available and decide what will best suit their family’s needs. More information on specific devices can be found here:
Video game devices
Playstation Knowledge Center (includes PSP)
Xbox Family Center
Wii Information for Parents (includes Nintendo DSi & Nintendo DSi XL)
Internet safety
Safe Eyes filtering software (for computer, mobile devices, video game systems and more)
Cellphones
Information on cell phone restrictions (T-Mobile, AT&T, Sprint, AllTel, and Verizon)
TV
Understanding the V-Chip
TiVo KidZone Guides
Also, all newer TVs can lock out specific channels. Consult your owner’s manual for more information.
Tip #5: Lovingly nurture parent-child relationship
One of the biggest mistakes parents make is to rely on technology to protect their children from media temptations. Safety tools can help, but they can never replace parents. The most influential factor in keeping children safe online and offline is the loving involvement of parents.
One of the most difficult challenges for today’s parent is finding enough time in the day to take care of work, home and family. Yet, every moment they invest in their children can lessen the risk they face in the media world.
Spend quality and quantity time with them – Children need and want parental involvement in their lives. They want to be a part of their parents' lives, as well. Parents should be sure to regularly carve out family time that is fun and rewarding for everyone.
Tell and show them they are loved – Although children should know they are loved and appreciated from early on, this affirmation is especially necessary during the teen years. The world is offering many deceptive and harmful messages about what it means to be a girl or boy. Parents need to ground their children in love and constantly speak the truth about their value and worth. They should be intentional in identifying the culture’s lies and help their children see how those messages can negatively impact those who believe them.
Also, parents should not forget the physical side of affection. Dads especially may pull away from their developing daughters, but girls need positive loving touch from Dad. This helps to affirm her when she goes through changes and gives her a model of how to be treated. Girls need to see the truth about love so they will recognize and reject the counterfeit that is sure to come their way. Also, dads should stay playful with sons and make sure they are hugged and wrestled with regularly.
Talk to them about sexuality – Children are very curious about how the world works, including about themselves and how their bodies work. As children grow, parents need to establish open, honest communication about sensitive topics. Questions should be answered in age-appropriate ways. By being proactive and talking about these matters throughout their young lives, parents are building a foundation of truth that can be used to refute sexual lies later in life. Parents need to understand that teens are naturally curious about sex as they go through puberty, and they need to validate what they are feeling and going through.
Entrust them with opportunities to make mistakes early in life – One of the biggest hurdles for a parent is to let a child go out into the world delete: usually when she heads off to college. While the “empty nest” emotions will be there, so should trust that the child will handle this new responsibility well. That trust is built up over a decade or longer as parents give children opportunities to make mistakes and learn from them. Media use is a great testing ground for responsibility. Parents can start small, with limited opportunities when children are young. When children prove responsible in small things, parents can gradually increase the amount of trust placed in the child. As children grow and learn through failures, they learn how to make decisions that lead to good consequences rather than bad ones. Parents are always going to need to balance protection with freedom, but the struggle to find that balance is well worth it.
Daniel Weiss is ROCK's director of research and national outreach.
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