The M2 Generation: Are Your Kids Too Dependent on the Media?
Is the media taking over your child's life? That's what a nationwide survey seems to suggest.
By: Lindsay Hutton
In this article, you will find:
Media saturation
Parental involvement
Parental involvement
So what can you do? The results of the study are alarming, but it also points out that parental involvement can have a positive impact on keeping the amount of time children spend with the media to reasonable levels. You can set limits on your child's media exposure by:
- Setting limits on how much TV your child watches.
- Setting limits on video games.
- Monitoring your child's Internet use, and having them sign a parent/child online agreement.
- Talking to your child about cell phone safety.
You can also take some advice from children who don't watch TV, and find activities that don't involve television or the Internet. For example, instead of nightly television watching, you can:
- Play a classic board game.
- Read a book together.
- Take an astrology lesson and learn about the night sky.
- Peruse our activities center to find fun stuff to do for children of all ages.
It may take a little more effort and planning on your part, but remember - children learn by example. Curbing your own media use and stressing the importance of family time will set the stage for your children to become less media-dependent.