The Media and children

How much does the media affect children?...

How much is too much access to the media?

Which television, movies, video games, and web sites are good and beneficial to children? which ones are bad?

   These are all important questions that parents must ask themselves on a daily basis. Many parents might struggle with deciding how much access to allow their children. Also, as their children grow older they become more interested and have access to more "mature", R rated movies and video games. Many parents are often simply, overwhelmed by the amount of decisions they must make about their children and their media use.  I interviewed my aunt, Karla Smedly, about her concerns about the effect of media on her children, ages 7,12 and 17. The following are my questions and her response to them.

The interview

Q:What are your concerns about the effect of the media on your children?

A: Because I have teenage girls I am concerned with the sexual content that they are bombarded with. Also, the continuous pressure that the media puts on young girls too be "perfectly beautiful". The media makes it out like your not suppose to have any imperfections to be accepted in society.

This Youtube video is a perfect example of Karla's concerns on the media's pressure of a perfect body,face,hair etc.

Q:How do you determine what your children may or may not watch?

A: I determine what they may or may not watch by sitting down to watch programs with them. I would get on a Christian review movie web site that told which movies were appropriate and what not. Also, the foul, bloody video games were definitely not allowed.

Q:What amount of time do you feel is appropriate for your children to spend watching TV, movies or playing video games?

A:On a daily basis, no more than two hours a day. Even with good, healthy TV programs its important for a kid to find something else to do.

Q:What media products do you consider "good" or even beneficial to your children?

A: Magazines that make your brain think. When a child is younger, TV shows like Blues Clues and Barney that actually teach you things instead of just entertain. For older children, as in teenagers, inspirational movies that have a good moral meaning or appropriate movies that make you laugh because that is important.

Q:What media products concern you?

A: Violent video games, magazines that are for women but are targeted at getting young girls attention. Magazines like Cosmopolitan that are at the check out of every store that younger children can see and are exposed to no matter what.


"Also, it really irritates me when they take a movie that could be a PG movie and they purposely add a sexual seen or curse words just so they can bump it up to a PG-13 because those get higher ratings and make more money."
                    -Karla Smedly