Supersaturation – What is it doing to our kids?

This past week, we turned our attention to two important critics and their work. Neil Postman’s Technopoly: the surrender of culture to technology and Todd Gitlin’s Media Unlimited offered differing views of technology’s impact on society. Our discussions of Postman touched on his ideas of tool-using cultures, technocracies, and technolopies. Gitlin’s work , on the other hand, takes a look at why we spend so much time with media. “In a society that fancies itself the freest ever, spending time with communications machinery is the main use to which we have put our freedom (Gitlin, 2001, pg. 6).” Gitlin (2001) goes on to say, “To an unprecedented degree, the torrent of images, songs, and stories streaming has become our familiar world (pg. 6).” Early on, Gitlin’s ideas touched on the impact of media on our kids. It is here I would like to focus my attention and your time.

As a child, I spent time playing outside with my sisters and friends. I also drowned my imagination at the movie theater and with television. I admit, I probably watched more than I should have and even snuck a few sick days to just spend time watching movies on the VCR. It was what I now call a mental health day. Now, as a parent of an impressionable toddler and kindergartner, I find myself questioning my behavior and how television viewing habits can impact their development.

Gitlin (2001) suggests “watching TV is the dominant leisure activity of Americans, consuming 40 percent of the average person’s free time as a primary activity (pg.16).” What I found alarming in his work was that he noted “the average child spent six hours and thirty-two minutes per day exposed to media of all kinds, of which the time spent reading books and magazines-not counting schoolwork-averaged about forty-five minutes (pg.18).” “For ages two to seven, the average for total media was four hours and seventeen minutes (pg. 18).” This category identifies my household. Do I really want my children exposed to that much media?

So how does TV, in particular, affect my children? According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), “kids in the United States watch about 4 hours of TV a day- even though the AAP guidelines say children older than 2 should watch no more than 1 to 2 hours a day of quality programming (Gavin, 2005).” Kids under 2 should have no TV time as this time is particularly important for the development of the child. In moderation, TV can be good. “TV can be an excellent educator and entertainer (Gavin, 2005).” Anyone watch Sesame Street as a child?

Too much television, however, is now linked to obesity in our youth. This is a growing concern in the United States, especially for children watching more than four hours of TV per day (Gavin, 2005). “Research also indicates that TV consistently reinforces gender-role and racial stereotypes” and “kids who view violent events, such as kidnapping and murder, are more likely to believe that the world is scary and that something bad will happen to them (Gavin, 2005).”

With this information, now I know I need to make sure we limit the amount of time my children watch TV. If we choose to allow time in front of the television, we will ensure the program is appropriate for their viewing and will take the time to sit with them. No matter the program, it is a great opportunity to ask questions and encourage discussion. Of course, the best option is to sit down as a family and read a book or play a game. Family time doesn’t have to include a television, VCR, or DVD. This is the kind of time they fondly remember. I know my husband and I will.


REFERENCES

Gavin, M. (February 2005) How TV Affects Your Child. Retrieved on April 26, 2008, from http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/family/tv­_affects­_child.html

Gitlin, T. (2001). Media Unlimited: How the torrent of images and sounds overwhelms our lives. New York: Metropolitan Books.

Postman, N. (1992). Technopoly: The surrender of culture to technology. (1st ed.). New York: Vintage Books.