Media & the Family

[JaneR]

The average school-ager now is in front of a screen (TV, video games, computer, game boys etc.) approximately 42 hours a week. That is more than a full-time job for an adult. This latest research comes from the National Institute on Media and the Family (http://www.mediawise.org). Here is some of the data on the impact of media and children:
1. Vocabulary - Children in poverty watch the most TV. They also enter school with a working vocabulary of 700-800 words (1/3 the vocabulary of other children.) Words are the building blocks for thinking. A small vocabulary limits the complex thoughts needed for problem solving.
2. Health - Children sitting watching electronic screens are not active, leading to health problems with overweight and obesity. Commercials often encourage high calorie snacks which can lead to poor nutrition. Your heart is actually beating at a slower rate watching TV then if you are sleeping.
3. Family Time - When kids are watching TV they are not playing with other children or with adults.
4. School Success - Children who are watching entertainment TV are not reading, building, or creating. These activities develop the physical and mental skills needed for school success. Young children who watch a lot of TV may have attention problems when they reach school age.

How can we become more "Mediawise" as a family?? Here are 12 tips to tame the tube:
1. Limit screen time- Try limiting screen time to 2 hours or less for school agers. Children under the age of 2 should not be in front of a screen (Brain research from the National Pediatrics Society).
2. Monitor Content. Know what your kids are watching. - Choose media that is age-appropriate.
3. Avoid using electronic screens as babysitters.
4. Set family rules about what and when your children can watch TV, use the computer, etc.
5. Use the DVD/VCR player to your advantage - Record a good show and watch as a family.
6. Turn TV and video games off during meals.
7. Keep electronic screens out of kids' bedrooms - Research shows that screens in the bedroom mean the children watch more TV, play more video games, and spend more time gaming and surfing on the computer affecting their health and school performance.
8. Plan family time - Try a game night etc.
9. Talk to your child about what he or she is watching or playing. - Discuss what they see!
10. Keep electronic screens in the family areas of your home. - When screens are where you are, it is easier to monitor.
11. Practice "appointment" television. Decide in advance what's good to watch.
12. Talk with other parents about becoming MediWise - building healthy families through the wise use of media.

Jane Ryan
Family Educator for the Dassel-Cokato Early Childhood Center

[librarians]

Jane, thank you so much for this article. I think it is so important.

I am far from a literacy expert, but the exposure I've had to some of the information available has firmly reinforced what I already believed.

Which is that, kids who read tend to have what I think of as the future signs of success in life. They express themselves clearly and sometimes beautifully. They have curiousity about the world and its elements and know that, if they want to learn, there are books and other resources that will make this possible. They feel free to explore and often feel passionate about their interests, whether those be rocks, animals, trucks, or whatever. They know that they are not dependent upon teachers, parents or caregivers to find the answers they are looking for.

What I also sometimes observe, is that kids without these characteristics are generally more frustrated, anxious and uncertain. And watching the doorways to literacy open can be like seeing the sun come out from behind a big gray, angry cloud.

thanks again for such a great article!

[HikingStick]

I grew up in a community whose first public libary was located in rented space in the basement of a Catholic Church. For years, there were complaints that the library was too small and that the selection was too narrow. While I was too young to be aware of all the funding negotiations that had to take place, I do remember that there was a group of "library boosters" who raised money and established an endowment (or something similar) to fund the eventual expansion to a new library location.

About six years after I started using the library regularly, they broke ground and built a new libary building. When it was opened, it was fully stocked and magnificent.

Do any such groups exist in our area? I would really love to see the Winsted Library (since I live in Winsted) able to have full-day hours six days a week, and a larger space for a larger collection of materials. What would it take to form such a group?