Violence in the mediaHow does it affect families?

You may think that those sexy sitcoms or violent dramas are just entertainment and shouldn't really have serious effects. For any single show that's probably correct, but for too many people, we're not talking about a single show every so often, and it is a problem. Child psychologist, Dr. Debra Kowalski, explains, "With children having so much exposure to the media, the messages that come across are very important and they shape how a child sees the world and what a child sees as important. A lot of the messages related to violence and sexuality can negatively impact a child." The repetition of violence causes children to become desensitized. The same thing happens to adults, but children are more vulnerable. It also holds true for explicit sexual content. In fact, relatively little exposure to pornographic material at an early age can significantly disturb a child and interact with their sleeping and other behaviors. It can also affect the way they interact socially with peers, as well as foster anxiety and fear in other situations. Michael Suman, coordinator of The Center for Communications Policy at the University of California at Los Angeles, is doing a three year analysis of the effects of violence on television. He makes the following observations: "Violence on television, basically, has three types of negative effects on people."
1. INCREASES VIOLENCE. Many studies show that violence on TV

actually leads to aggressive, violent behaviors in the world, most prominently through imitation. They see people being violent on TV and they copy them as models. They imitate them.
2. DESENSITIZATION AND CALLOUSNESS. "People become desensitized.

This includes being callous towards people who've been victims of violence." (Ted Baehr, movie and television specialist and publisher of the Christian Movie Guide, comments, We say it's ok, we've seen it on television. That behavior is fine. We no longer object to behavior [and language] that a few years ago we would have been insulted by We've become very desensitized, and it's corrupting.)
3. FEAR. "It makes them more fearful." Children may have the false notion that

violence or abuse is around every corner and that there is no good in this

world. While this may be partly true, it is misleading and can cause much damage during the developmental stages of life. Do you allow your family to watch programming riddled with violence? Does your heart lead you down the path of worldliness, seeking violence? Or are you active in showing your family that true followers of Christ are known as peacemakers in this violence-scarred society? As the old proverb goes, your actions speak louder than your words. What do your actions say? For more information, be sure to read this eye-opening discussion about the effects of media on the family, How much TV is too much TV?
Be sure to take advantage of our free, on-line, Christian movie reviews, TV reviews, and eGame reviews at ChristianSpotlight.com

Examples

Current movies of interest to kids

New movie reviews

Currently in North American theatrical release

Captain America: The First Avenger Winnie the Pooh Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 Larry Crowne Zookeeper Horrible Bosses Monte Carlo Transformers: Dark of the Moon Cars 2 Green Lantern New DVDs Limitless

Winnie the Pooh Zookeeper Cars 2 Mr. Poppers Penguins Kung Fu Panda 2 Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil Rio Hop Soul Surfer Rango

Take Me Home Tonight Rango Arthur The Lincoln Lawyer Insidious Of Gods and Men Sucker Punch Beastly Season of the Witch see other recent releases
Top of Form

New eGame Reviews

Need For Speed Most Wanted The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning BioShock 2 Tom Clancys Splinter Cell: Conviction The Legend of Zelda: Majoras Mask Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

search
Bottom of Form

more reviews

Subscribe to this Feed

How much TV is too much TV?

Many adults feel that since they freely watched television when they were young and dont think that they were too negatively affected, TV doesnt have a significant impact either on their children, or themselves as adults. The difference, though, lies in the nature of the programs that were prevalent in the 50s, 60s and 70s, as compared to now. By and large, todays parents were brought up on wholesome or family oriented programs that emphasized traditional, JudeoChristian values. The most worrisome of the shows incorporated hard-to-explain situation ethics, or just simple (but fun) frivolity. Many of todays most popular youth and family programs, however, include varying degrees of sexual promiscuity, profanity, coarse joking, and anti-family/antiChristian plots and sub-plots. Occultism, violence, and self-indulgent materialism are also found in a huge percentage of Hollywoods offerings. Now more than ever, discretion is essential. Although Hollywood has a lot to answer for, its important to remember that not everything that comes through TV is bad. Its not our intent to alienate you from your TV. In fact, in our book How To Get the Best Out of TV, we present many refreshing, creative ideas of how you and your family can gain lasting control of, and benefit from, this valuable communication tool. A carefully programmed TV can be a beneficial ally! However, because the average child between 2 and 11 years old watches over 27 hours of poorly supervised television per week; because the only thing that kids do more than watch television is sleep, and because we are convinced that most parents are unaware of the indecent liberties that modern media take with our children, we implore Your attention please!

VIOLENCE AND AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR

Dr. Jay Martin of the University of Southern California found that in a multi-year study of 732 children, conflicts with parents, fighting with peers, and delinquency were correlated with the total number of hours of television viewing. (insert paragraph)--> It is troubling to note, especially for child care operators and parents who let their children watch moderate to large amounts of only the good stuff, that the fundamental correlation is not between aggressive behavior and the viewing of violence on TV. Increases in aggression correlate with viewing television, not with viewing violent scenes. 1 The process of viewingthe number of hours actually viewedis the main factor correlated with negative behavior. It appears that the best way to guard against over-aggressiveness and interpersonal conflicts is a two-pronged approach. First and most importantly, cut down on the total number of hours viewed. Second, eliminate all violent programs from your TVviewing diet so that a callousness to pain and suffering is not unnecessarily fostered in the hearts of your own children.

ACADEMICS AND EDUCATIONAL TV

While attention grabbing headlines demand excellence in our nations classrooms, the evidence that too much television has an adverse effect on scholastic performance is overwhelming. The bottom line is, the more television a child watches, the greater the negative impact on his learning and development. Our cries for educational reforms must be matched by reform on the home frontin our TV viewing habits.

DISTORTED VIEW OF SEX AND SEXUALITY

In an effort to broaden and obtain a better selection of programs, the majority of American households now subscribe to cable TV services. Better control is not a benefit of the monthly service fee, though. In fact, in a study of 450 sixth-graders who watch cable, Oklahoma State University professor Godfrey Ellis found that a staggering 66% of the children watched at least one program a month that contained nudity or heavy sexual content. Where do Christian children develop their weakened moral ideas? A substantial part of the blame can be laid to poorly managed television. A child may attend Sunday

School for one hour a week, church for two more hours and never really hear about Gods prohibitions regarding premarital sex. But when a child has unlimited access to the worlds perspective at the rate of 25 to 30 hours per week, which ideas can we expect to have the most influence?

WEIGHT PROBLEMS
Dr. Robert Klesges, a researcher at Memphis State University, found that children watching TV tend to burn fewer calories per minutenot only fewer than those engaged in active play, but also fewer than those who are reading or 'doing nothing' in fact, almost as few as children who are sleeping.2 And the heavier a child is, the more grave the effect. For children of normal weight, TV-watching triggered a 12 percent (metabolic) drop The metabolic rates of obese children fell an average 16 percent.3 Dr. Klesges suggested the obvious. It seems prudent for people of all ages who have weight problems to curb their time in front of the tube and do something more demanding instead.4

COMMERCIALS
It is estimated that the average child sees 20,000 commercials per year. Unlike adults, who often mute out commercials, or who get up and make a mad dash for the bathroom during the 60 to 180 seconds that they are allotted, children like TV ads. They like to be told what to lobby forand lobby they do.

IMAGINATIVE PLAY
Few adults are aware of it, but television has completely altered the way that children spend their time. Yesterdays children spent much of their days playing games and exploring the outdoor world around them. But todays children spend their time with their eyes glued to the television screen and their bottoms firmly planted on the livingroom rug. Youngsters who should be outdoors getting bruised, dirty, and exhausted, exercise only their blinking eyelids as they sit entranced, hour after hour, in front of the tube. Evidence indicates that television interferes with the capacity to entertain oneself and stifles the ability to express ideas logically and sensitively. Television viewing replaces essential play activities with passivity rather than activity.

FAMILY TIME AND COMMUNICATIONS

A Michigan State University study revealed that when four- and five-year-olds were

offered the choice between giving up television or their fathers, a third opted to give up daddy. According to another study, the average five-year-old spends [only] 25 minutes a week in close interaction with his father [but] 25 hours a week in close interaction with the TV set.5

Parents often regret not spending more time with their children. However, two-thirds say they would probably accept a job that required more time away from home if it offered higher income or greater prestige.6 Caught in time-binds that limit the number of hours available for family interaction, equally problematic is the average familys misuse of the TV set. Poorly managed television wastes opportunities for kids to learn how to relate to other people, including their parents and siblings, and relating with their families is a desire of todays youth. In a nationwide, ethnically balanced survey of 750 ten to sixteenyear-olds, three-quarters said that if they had a choice between watching TV or spending time with their families, theyd opt for family time.7 Instead, in the strong words of one author, Parents have abused their children in order to benefit themselves, turning the TV set into a constant and convenient baby-sitter.8 Im convinced, however, that the familys loss of control of its time is one of the most perplexing of the problems faced by parents today. We recognize the fact that values completely contrary to those that we want our children to absorb are being shot rapid firethrough the TV set into the living room. We realize that, as the family supper table succumbs to the chatter of TV noise, hope for a daily period of sharing, caring, and interaction is almost zero. Yet we stay tuned in anyway. When one considers that the average household now spends almost 50 hours per week with the TV, yet mom and dad allot only 27 minutes during the same week to focus on and talk to each other, its little wonder that relationships suffer. And when families suffer, society itself feels the results.

Children of all ages need adult contact. While a teenagers vehement verbal attacks may suggest otherwise, they need adult/child relationships for reassurance that they are loved, and for instruction in the ways of adult society. Author/lecturer Josh McDowell has repeatedly stated that he often has teenagers come to him, convinced that their parents dont love them. When asked why they feel this way, many respond that they just dont feel important. Their parents dont try to spend time with them anymore. In fact, poorly managed TV has become one of the primary impediments to relational richness in millions of American homes. After a lively meeting where we had been invited to challenge a large group of Christian teens about their TV habits, a teen-aged girl shyly came to my wife, Karen. The girl was heartbroken by the way that television stood between her and her parents, and between them and God. She was convinced that she was not as important to her mom and dad as were their TV sets. This teen actually wanted to get closer to her parents. But the way that TV was used in her home made true closeness an all-butimpossible dream. Most disturbing of all, her parents would be surprised, even angry if anyone were to suggest that maybe TV rated too high a priority in their average Christian family.
Top of Form

What Hollywood Believes HARDCOVER BOOK by Ray Comfort Which celebrities are atheists? How many Hollywood celebrities pray every day, and believe the Bible? This unique publication shares the spiritual beliefs of Hollywood stars from past and present. You will be intrigued as you discover the personal beliefs of Jim Carrey, Britney Spears, Bruce Willis, Jack Nicholson, Kevin Costner, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael J. Fox, Robert Duvall a total of 124 big name celebrities. (208 pages) [More Details] US$1499
Bottom of Form

If someone in your home wants some uninterrupted time to share some problems or feelings, do you sometimes respond with, Shhh, Im watching TV? That phrase is a strong indication that television is the basic presence and all others are considered interruptive. When we put TV ahead of people, it reveals a lot about the value we place on others. Remember, children learn from parental examplewhether that example is lethargy or loving involvement, harsh words or gentle speech. Will you give prime time to your family, friends, church? Make a commitment for just one or two weeks to improve your viewing habits. Refer to our reproducible forms, TV-alternative activities, and helpful video evaluations to help you in the process. Its really true, you can get the best out of TV, without letting TV get the best out of you!

Related resources

TV viewing - Should I be concerned about our family's viewing habits? Answer How does viewing violence on TV or movies affect the family? Answer TV AND MOVIE CONTROL - How do I say no in a positive way when my child wants to watch bad TV or movies? Answer Movie viewing - What Christian resources are available to help me choose good movies? Answer

TV viewingShould I be concerned about our family's viewing habits?

By the age of 6, the average American child will have spent more time watching television than he will spend speaking to his parents in an entire lifetime. What's the effect? Television has grown from a small entertainment medium to become a huge industry casting the single most dominating presence in our society. In 1955 television was only on in the evenings with few choices of stations and in less than one-third of American homes. But today virtually every American home has TV and two-thirds of us have two or more sets, two-thirds have cable and who knows how many channels - all of this 24 hours a day. Now that is an amazing progression in technology, but it's been an appalling regression in social, moral and intellectual standards. This explosion of growth in TV viewing also parallels the growth of crime and other moral trends. This does not mean that it's totally television's fault, but it is certainly part of the process. It's so much a part of our everyday lives it has to have an effect.

While I'm concerned with some of the trash that comes out of Hollywood and the socalled 25 inch [0.635 meter] sewer line into your living room, that's not my biggest concern. Larry Poland of Mastermedia International explains: My biggest concern is the consumer because the person out there that watches 'x' number of hours of television a day, even if that person calls himself a Christian he does not know how to manage his family's media consumption. And the typical family, the heads of family, the fathers and mothers, are not managing the flow of stuff into their homes

we are not managing our media to keep the evil stuff out
I've had it up to here with parents saying 'I don't know where we went wrong. You know we raised our kid in the church, and he came to know the Lord when he was a kid, and he wants to look like a rock star and he's doing drugs.' The first question I ask is 'What kind of media do you allow in your home?' Because if we don't control the input of media into our homes and into the minds of the people in our families, we don't have a leg to stand on in defending ourselves against anybody outside, or God himself, when it comes to the erosive, destructive influence of media. So the most crucial point and the achilles heel, right now, of Christians and Christian families is we are not managing our media to keep the evil stuff out.

They're selling ideas and values in the many hours of TV and movies that people see.
Film critic and social analyst Michael Medved agrees. The fact is, you have to change families first. And that means that parents have to monitor much more closely what their children are watching, what their children are listening to. And for goodness sake, try to cut down on the TV a little bit. According to Medved, a recent statistics show that the average American child, by the age of 6 will have spent more time watching television than that child will spend speaking to his parents in an entire lifetime. Do you find yourself saying "Come on. Lighten up. It's just entertainment. This eye gouging and the filth and the language is just entertainment, nobody takes it seriously.'?" Medved points out "The fact is, they can sell beer - they can sell vacuum cleaners - in 30 seconds. They're selling ideas. They're selling values in the hours and hours of television and movies that people see. It matters. What Hollywood does matters, and we've got to care." So what is the answer? How does a parent reinforce what they want their child to learn? Dick Rolfe of the Dove Foundation offers this suggestion: It's very important today that parents dialogue with their children and expound on

how they see what's going on in life - not to ignore it, not to over-expose it, but to identify it, to recognize it and to bring it into the family conversation These family times together are so important because it's the only opportunity that we, as parents have to be able to share our values with our children. And after all, that's really our legacy to our childrenour values. The most important step in helping your children to be able to use the media properly and to become your allies in this media battle is to help them understand what your values are. Help them understand the difference between good and evil and what the Bible says about good and evil. Let them know what you believe about what makes a man worthy and humble and kind and loving and generous. You need to teach them those things that you want them to model. Discuss what the worldview of a program is. The next step is to get them to understand the media that they're watching by asking the right questions. 'Well, who is the hero? Who's the villain? What is the world view? How is the government treated?'
Top of Form

What Hollywood Believes HARDCOVER BOOK by Ray Comfort Which celebrities are atheists? How many Hollywood celebrities pray every day, and believe the Bible? This unique publication shares the spiritual beliefs of Hollywood stars from past and present. You will be intrigued as you discover the personal beliefs of Jim Carrey, Britney Spears, Bruce Willis, Jack Nicholson, Kevin Costner, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael J. Fox, Robert Duvall a total of 124 big name celebrities. (208 pages) [More Details] US$1499
Bottom of Form

In an age where moral relativism is the popular thought, be sure to remember what Gary Bauer of the Family Research Council reminds families: Our liberties and values come from God. They're clearly outlined in the Scriptures. If we fail to recognize that, then values and laws are open to re-decision every year, whenever 51% of the people decide that something is no longer wrong. That's a disaster and we've already seen the effects of it. What are you modeling in your home? Where do you look for moral absolutes? Content adapted from Whatever Happened to America?, a 3-part video series hosted by John Schneider.

How do I say no in a positive way when my child wants to watch bad TV or movies?

I'm a single parent [LUETTA] and I have my ten-year-old daughter living with me while my sixteen-year-old son lives with his dad. I need some guidelines on how to communicate my values, particularly about TV - some of the cartoons. How can I explain to her that they might look innocent enough, but they are really not good to watch? When I try, she simply says, "Oh, Mom, so what if there are some bad words? I hear this all the time at school. I don't see anything wrong with this program." I usually wind up just letting it go, and I don't know what to do about it. RANDY CARLSON: In other words, your ten-year-old is sort of running the house. LUETTA: In some respects, that's true. Maybe I try to take it too easy on her because of the marital breakup and all the things she's been going through. I was divorced only a year ago, so she's still hurting. I'm having a difficult time staying in control. DR. KEVIN LEMAN: Try to look at your parenting task as being in healthy authority over your child rather than being in control of her at all times, which is impossible. As the single parent, your job is to establish boundaries that are reasonable and firm and then hold your child accountable for staying within those boundaries. It's my guess, as a single mom, you are letting guilt influence a lot of your decisions. Guilt is making you too permissive and, Luetta, you can't let guilt rule your life and then give your daughter carte blanche as far as what she wants to watch on TV. LUETTA: I'd like to throw this in to help you understand the situation. I've always been a pleaser. I do let my kids have their way because I think that if I don't they won't love me. I know that's not true, but that's how I feel. RANDY: So you grew up being a pleaser and now that you're a single parent it's obvious that you can't put that pleasing nature and inability to confront on a back burner. You still want people to like you, particularly your daughter. But I think,

Luetta, you have to realize, as a parent, your job is to love and discipline your child, not to be liked by your child. There will be times when your daughter won't like you particularly if you make her change the channel. But your job is to set the boundaries in love and her job is to respect you and obey you. In the long term, you hope that she will love and like you for what you did. LUETTA: But how do I explain why I don't want her to watch certain programs and movies? KEVIN: You have to be sure of your own values and stick to your guns. If a program has bad language, just tell her, "Look, I know you hear bad language at school, but that doesn't mean we have to hear it in our home. Let's find another program." If there's too much violence, just tell her, "This show is too violent. The people who made this program want us to think that killing or hurting people is the way to solve problems." As for programs that are sexy, this is a great opportunity to share your views about sex, dating, boys, men. Let her know that sex is something wonderful and these programs turn it into something cheap and dirty. RANDY: The important thing, Luetta, is not to back off. Stand your ground and when in doubt, simply say, "No, we aren't going to watch this or do this because it simply isn't right or good. I love you too much to let you watch or do this." As a single mother who knows she's permissive, you have to keep working at being as authoritative as possible. You have no partner to back you up or provide a balancing style of discipline, so you have to provide that balance yourself. Just hang in there, Luetta; you and your daughter will be okay.