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| Vol. 19: This Issue |
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Play
It Safe!
Making Healthy
Summer Media Choices
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TV Safety Tips:
- Decide on TV time
limits that work for your family.
- Make a schedule for
summer media use, write it down and post it
near the TV set.
- Turn the TV off during
mealtimes.
- Practice “appointment”
TV. Turn the TV on only when there is something
good on that you have planned to watch.
- Record and make a
library of kid-friendly TV shows and movies.
- Avoid shows with
violent or inappropriate sexual themes.
- Remove TVs from bedrooms.
(A TV in the bedroom is an unsupervised private
tutor.)
- Use a V-chip.
Video Game Safety Tips:
- Check video game
ratings.
- Know the content
of the game. Choose games with appropriate
content for your child.
- Avoid games with
violent or inappropriate sexual themes.
- Set time limits for
video game playing.
Internet Safety Tips:
- Set up kid-safe Internet
controls on your computer by either buying
a special program or using the parental controls
from your Internet service provider.
- If your child uses
email, set up his or her own log-in account.
Set up controls to eliminate spamming, including
pornography.
- Set limits and rules
for Internet use.
- Monitor Internet use.
Have the computer in a public space.
- Review safety rules
about giving out personal information with
your kids. Make sure your children talk to
you about anyone they have met on the Internet
who wants to meet them in person.
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 School
is out and summer schedules have begun. For many parents
this means scrambling to find activities for their
children: summer camps, enrichment classes, sitters,
time with friends, etc. The idea is to help kids learn
new skills and spend time outdoors.
Summer also gives children a chance to relax. But
TV and other media aren’t necessarily the answer.
Every time your children turn on the TV or play a
video game they have invited a private tutor into
your home. The values, lessons and messages taught
by entertainment media are as firmly planted in a
child’s mind as the information from the most
engaging schoolwork. And because the nationwide increases
in childhood obesity are linked to many motionless
hours in front of video screens, a summer filled with
more media time is not healthy for children. The good
news is there are many good media choices for kids.
Media choices that are fun and enjoyable while teaching
something of value can be a healthy part of a balanced
summer schedule.
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Stopping Sexual Violence in Video Games
 In
partnership with the Campus Women’s Center, University
of Wisconsin-Madison, the Institute has launched a nationwide
petition drive to stop sexual violence in video games. The
most popular video game of 2003, Grand Theft Auto: Vice
City, rewards players for having sex with prostitutes
and then beating them to death. Disturbingly, graphically
depicting women as sexualized objects and victims of brutal
violence is a growing trend in the most popular games.
With the help of groups on over a dozen college campuses
and concerned individuals nationwide, we have collected
thousands of signatures from people who think it’s
time to stop the sexual violence against women. To add your
name to the petition, visit mediafamily.org and click on
the petition link.
In conjunction with the launch of our petition to stop video
game violence against women, the National Institute on Media
and the Family is now offering a video and discussion guide
called Sex, Murder, and Video Games. Available at
www.mediafamily.org/store/smvg.shtml
or by calling 1-888-672-KIDS, this 16 1/2 - minute video
will change the way you look at video games forever.
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Research Watch: Two New
Studies From The Institute
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Douglas Gentile, Ph.D., director
of research for the Institute, unveiled two new studies
on April 24th at the Society for Research in Child
Development (SRCD) biennial meeting in Tampa, Florida.
Both studies have expanded our understanding of media’s
impact on children.
One in Seven Video Gamers is Addicted
One study focused on adolescent video game addiction.
According to the study, 14 percent of 8th and 9th
graders who play video games are addicted to the games
and 90 percent of adolescent video game addicts are
male. Compared to non-addicted gamers, addicted adolescents
are more likely to get into physical fights and into
arguments with teachers and friends, and are less
likely to have good grades.
Fake Violence Makes Real Kids Fight
Unlike similar research that has focused on particular
types of media, the second study considered all types
of violent media exposure, including TV, video games
and movies. According to the long-term study, all
children, regardless of their background, gender,
or propensity toward violence, became more violent
with a large exposure to violent media. In fact, the
kids without a history of fighting who had high exposure
to media violence were more likely to fight than the
children who had fought previously but had low media
violence exposure.
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Gail Hannas Named MediaWise
Champion
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Gail Hannas is a MediaWise Champion. In her work
at Title I Parent & Family Resource for Brevard
Public Schools in Brevard County, Florida she has
helped bring the MediaWise Program to the 47th largest
of the nation’s 16,000 school districts –
with over 70,000 students in all. Recently, we asked
Gail about her work with MediaWise in Florida.
How do you reach families with the MediaWise ®
Program?
I felt that the MediaWise Program was a perfect complement
to other parent programs already being offered in
the Brevard district. We gave a general presentation
to all trainers involved in Parents Assuring Student
Success (PASSport) training, provided information
to the principal’s leadership team, and had Dr.
Walsh as a keynote speaker at our annual district
parent conference.
Brevard Prevention Plus, a safe schools and healthy
students program, bought kits for 40 schools. We now
have approximately 60 schools who have participated
in the program. Our goal is to have kits available
for parents or service organizations and to provide
workshops to a variety of community groups.
Resource teachers at the district office have introduced
MediaWise to several different curriculum areas. For
example, the art department incorporated the training
in their “the Artful Truth” instruction
on media and media literacy.
Dr. Walsh was a featured presenter for the District
Inservice Day in February, 2003. Over 125 teachers
attended his workshop highlighting how media impacts
achievement. Everyone wants more!
Why do you think MediaWise is so important?
To have knowledge is to have power. The information
in the MediaWise ® program is scientifically based
and emotional, making it powerful. I am so very grateful
that we have this program to help inform parents about
things going on in the world around us that are not
beneficial for children or adults.
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Dr. Dave keynotes international media
violence conference
 David
Walsh, Ph.D., president of the National Institute on Media
and the Family, recently traveled to Lisbon, Portugal to
deliver the keynote address at the International Conference
on Media Violence and Children. Among the scholars,
healthcare professionals, and public officials from throughout
Europe in attendance during Dr. Walsh’s speech was
Sofia de Grecia y Hannover, better known as the Queen of
Spain.
Institute Board Adds Eric Gruseke
 The
National Institute on Media and the Family became even more
media-savvy recently with the addition of Eric Gruseke to
its board of directors. As vice president and publisher
of Reader’s Digest, Eric has over a decade of experience
informing, enriching, entertaining and inspiring people
of all ages and all cultures around the world.
In addition to his work for Reader’s Digest and the
Institute, Eric is on the board of the American Advertising
Federation. A graduate from Susquehanna University with
a B.S. degree in Business Administration/Marketing, he and
his wife, Anna, have three children, Matthew, Andrew and
William.
We’re proud to welcome Eric to our board of directors.
With his help, we hope to reach even more families and educators
with our important tools and resources.
Reaching Families With Your Help
We continue to offer our vital information and tools because
of the generous support of caring people and organizations.
Future research and outreach efforts could not be possible
without continued support. The Institute accepts donations
via mail, telephone, and online:
606 24th Avenue South, Suite 606
Minneapolis, MN, 55454
1-888-672-5437
Concerned about how media violence and disrespect affects
your family?
What:
Support the important work of the National Institute
on Media and the Family.
Why: Kids
need your help. The Institute is a nonprofit organization.
Your gift helps us help parents and educators help children.
How: Send
your tax-deductable gift to:
National Institute
on Media and the Family
Riverside Professional Building
606 24th Ave. South, Suite 606
Minneapolis, MN 55454-1438
Who: YOU
can make a difference for our children.
Also:
How you
can help.
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