Average Kid Watches 2-4 HOURS
of TV per Day
The
average kid watches two to four hours of television per day – and by the time
they enter kindergarten they will have witnessed eight thousand murders.
Kuntsche
(2006) found that watching more than two hours of television per day was
associated with higher risks of verbally aggressive behavior, such as
name-calling and spreading rumors.
Parents must limit unsupervised television viewing. Promoting participation in extracurricular
activities and organized sports may be a great alternative to leaving kids
unsupervised with television and Internet access.
Television
and watching violence on television are neither the cause of bullying nor the
reason that children and adolescents exhibit violent behavior. However, exposure to violence should be minimal,
as there is reason to be concerned about the impact of this exposure. Desensitization, modeling, and a lack of
empathy may be associated with long-term exposure to violence on television.
As
parents, we have become more tolerant about what is acceptable for
children. There are movies that are
rated okay for children thirteen and older that just twenty years ago would
have certainly been rated only suitable for adults.
Reading,
playing, drawing, and daydreaming have beneficial effects for children. Creativity, reflection, and vocabulary
building are some of the outcomes from leisure activities other than television
and video games. We should be reminded
that speaking with our children about school and their day promotes success at
school. Additionally, these
conversations allow you to stay informed about the challenges, worries, and
concerns in your child’s life. Thus,
make it a priority to limit television and electronic media and to shift some
of your children’s time to other constructive and healthy alternative
activities.
“101 Facts About Bullying – What Everyone
Should Know” BY Meline Kevorkian and
Robin D’Antona. 2008 (p.125)
