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Ask your children something about current TV programs, movies, video games and music, and they likely will tell you many things you have never even heard of before.
Do you know why? That's where they are spending an average of 33 hours a week -- almost as much time as the average full-time employee puts in on his or her job.
That's what the Kaiser Foundation tells us after an extensive survey: A typical American kid 2 years old and up is spending 33 hours a week being electronically entertained.
How much time on homework? Maybe zero to a couple of hours a day? How much time in school classrooms? Maybe six or seven hours a day? How much time sleeping? Perhaps eight to 10 hours. And then there's eating and everything else. Entertainment may be close to No. 1 in consuming youthful time.
And what does that electronic entertainment consist of? It may be something as nice and harmless as Sesame Street, or as disgusting and antisocial as some of the current TV cartoons. It may be some movie such as the Lion King, or fare filled with irresponsible and promiscuous sex, violence and the foulest of profane expressions.
The Kaiser survey indicated an average child spends 2.46 hours a day watching TV, 1.27 hours listening to music (do you know what the lyrics say?), 0.44 of an hour reading for fun, 0.21 of an hour with a computer, 0.20 of an hour playing video games and 0.08 of an hour "online."
"Watching TV, playing video games, listening to music and surfing the Internet have become a full-time job for the typical American child," said Kaiser Foundation President Drew Altman. And Donald Roberts, a Stanford University communications director and co-author of the Kaiser study said, "After TV, music is the medium of choice for most kids, especially older teens."
Children used to just "hang out" with friends, or ride their bikes or play ball or dolls. But this is not just a changing world, it's a changed one. The electronic bells and whistles competing for our children's -- and our! -- attention seem limitless. Some of that is OK, but to what degree, and to what standards?
We are told that "We are what we eat." We also "are what we think." And we are what we are, to some degree, because we assimilate it by osmosis, soaking up much of what's around us, like a sponge.
Isn't it strange that so many are drinking bottled water
because of its reported purity, while our kids and we are
swimming in a modern electronic sea of -- well, each of us
may characterize it for himself?
HUH? Blame TV? The issue should be with the parents that do not spend time with their children, and simply plunk them down in front of a TV... not the TV. It's the parental guidance and parental interest in their own children that's lacking today, not any external force. Blaming it all on "external forces" is another fine example of the "liberal mentality" that you all despise.
My teen sons spend a lot of free time on their computers or tv, but they go to school, work and pay bills. I say they use their time rather wisely.
Blame TV, Movies?
You know how many people watch tv and movies and DO NOT go out killing other people the same is true for porno flicks the majority do not go out raping or screwing other people. I am sick people blamming everything except themselfs which isn't easiler i know it's easiler to blame a object or somewhere else but the crap that happens in your life or your kids's life is your fault at least partial if not totally.
"Blame TV?
The issue should be with the parents that do not spend time with their
children, and simply plunk them down in front of a TV... not the TV.
It's the parental guidance and parental interest in their own children
that's lacking today, not any external force.
Blaming it all on "external forces" is another fine example of the
"liberal mentality" that you all despise."
I agree, Deep. Many of today's parents are so absorbed in their own world that they place their kids as just another item, with not much more emphasis than their golf clubs, and BMW.
TV, for sure, is a wasteland of mind-melting garbage for youngsters. The virtual reality of it makes an indelible impression in young minds. It becomes a force much more credible to them than what their parents say or do. I've seen programs, even cartoons, that suggest, and even encourage kids to talk back to parents, disregard parents, and usurp parental authority.
What to do, what to do? Well, turn the damn thing off.
Nobody ever said parenting was easy. It takes boundless energy and patience...you might even have to give up a round of golf every now and then. No parent should expect to receive lifelong respect from a child raised in front of the television.
Besides micrwaving parrots and shootin other kids not much I guess. Seriously, there are a lot of good kids out there and lot's of lousy parents who let the schools screw up their kids.
Just back to cabin from a long cross country ski trip through the light snowfall with my homeschooled grandson, age 14, and his parents from Denver. I met them at their vehicle and led them on the zigzag trail up the mountain.
The cabin is not hardwired to the rest of the world and relies on satellites for transmissions and receptions and on wind/gas/solar powered generators, all fully comprehended by grandson. In fact, he helped install some of the stuff and has helped me with repairs on it. He doesn't have time for television as there is too much fun here in the mountains with reality.
Grandkids are great to have around. I have 8, and they are growing up too fast. Only one might still believe in Santa Claus. The rest are to busy seeing if they are taller than their granma and granpa.
"..Nobody ever said parenting was easy. It takes boundless energy and patience..." And then some! In the old west, I understand children watched as a men may have been publicly hung for their crime. One or two children, I suppose, went on to be vigilante "hangmen"... The majority, I'm certain, went on to become law abiding, upstanding citizens. We can't protect our children from undesirable settings, but we can teach them right from wrong, giving them the armor they need, that no laws or legislation could ever substitute. We don't need censorship, we need parents that like their children. Thanks Frank.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
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