For years I've
been repeating a simple slogan to parents: be MediaWise
and watch what your kids watch. The premise is pretty straightforward
- if you want to make sure your kids have a healthy media
diet, you need to pay attention to what's on the menu. Most
of the time, following this advice isn't all that complicated.
It's just a matter of checking in with your kids, talking
to them about the shows they watch and the games they play,
and, sometimes, using media with them, to see what all the
fuss is about.
Sometimes, however, watching what your kids watch can get
a little more complicated. That's because, as we all know,
the electronic media are constantly evolving. In terms of
their impact on kids, these changes can play out in unexpected
ways.
For instance, the reason video games are under fire from
Congress and others these days has everything to do with
technological innovation. Years ago, in the days of Frogger
and Pong, some worried that mindless hours in front of the
screen might be rotting kids' brains. But for the most part,
no one really worried about the content of video games.
Today, however, most of the controversy concerns the killographic,
and, in some cases, pornographic content in many of the
most popular games.
Now wait a minute, you might be thinking, I thought he said
the issue was technological innovation, not content. But
that's just it. These days, the content of games is the
technological innovation. Because video game graphics have
become so realistic, so close to TV images, the game makers
can now depict things that put parents' teeth on edge. The
old games never could have done that.
And here's where watching what your kids watch gets complicated.
In order to really keep an eye on the media, you have to
keep up with the capability of the latest technology.
I gave an interview on a local news station recently. It
seems some parents are up in arms about Playstation's new
handheld video game player, the PSP. Why? Well, some of
their kids have been watching the most graphic pornography
imaginable on their PSPs. That's right.
The increasing innovation and convergence of technology
is changing the rules. PSPs aren't just video game players.
Not only are these devices capable of playing videos, they're
Internet-ready, so downloading porn is as simple as it is
on a computer. Of course, because kids are the ones who
use the technology, they figured this out way before most
parents did.
The lesson here is you should know what technology your
kids have. Know the technology's capabilities. Then, set
the ground rules, enforce them, and check on your kids'
use.
At the National Institute on Media and the Family, we're
working to keep parents up to date on the latest technological
changes. Visit MediaWise.org for updates. It may take a
little extra time to get the information you need, but taking
the time is worth it.
David Walsh, Ph.D. is the founder of the
MediaWise Movement, a program of the National Institute
on Media and the Family (www.mediafamily.org).
His latest book, Why Do They Act That Way? A Survival Guide
to the Adolescent Brain for You and Your Teen, is a national
bestseller.
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