Watching Television with Your Children

“In many young people’s homes, the TV is a constant companion. Two-thirds (63%) live in homes where the TV is usually on during meals, and half (51%) live in homes where the TV is left on most of the time, whether anyone is watching it or not.” —The Kaiser Family Foundation, Generation M: Media in the Lives of 8–18 Year-olds—Executive Summary, 2005

Benefits

Television programs can serve as windows into different cultures and different parts of the world. Television programs can inform, educate, and entertain.
As a result of the Children’s Television Act of 1990, broadcast networks now show at least three hours of educational programming each week. Educational and informational programs are often identified by an E/I icon in the corner of the television screen. Whenever you see this icon on the screen, you can know that the show is more likely to offer some educational benefit to your family—and you might want to take a closer look.
VCRs and DVRs (digital video recorders, which allow you to record from your television to a hard drive–based digital storage system) can be used to preview shows to ensure they are what you want your child watching. They also allow you to watch with your child those shows that are on when you are at work, or to save your favorite adult programs until after your child is in bed.

Risks

Many parents are concerned about their young children watching television programs that have content more suitable for older children, or about their older children watching programs that are more suitable for adults. Parents need to be aware that many programs may contain language they do not approve of, violence (perhaps in cartoon form), sexual innuendo, or discussions about sex. Consider making the rule that there will be no televisions in bedrooms. If your child has a television in his or her bedroom, it is much more difficult for you to know what he or she is watching.
The advertising and marketing industry is becoming increasingly sophisticated in the ways it tries to influence consumers, including children. Rather than watching television commercials, mute the commercials and use that time to talk to your child about the program. What is going on in the story? What will happen in the end? Are the characters real people?

Ratings

Television ratings indicate which ages a television program is appropriate for and provide content labels alerting audiences to higher levels of violence (V), sex (S), adult language (L), suggestive dialogue (D), or fantasy violence (FV). The ratings are voluntarily agreed to by the broadcast and cable television networks and are assigned episode by episode. Therefore, the same program might carry a different rating each week depending on the content of the specific episodes.
Ratings appear in the upper left-hand corner of the screen at the beginning of all broadcast programs and many cable programs. To find a program’s rating before the program airs, check the local newspaper listing, the TV Guide, the on-screen cable guide, or the network website.

The v-chip

Most televisions purchased after July 1, 1999, are equipped with a v-chip, which parents can use to block programs based on age-based rating or content labels. For example, if you don’t want your child watching programs rated TV-14 (not recommended for children under 14), you can set your v-chip to block all TV-14 programs. To block only TV-14 programs with higher levels of violence, select TV-14-V. Blocking a rating blocks all higher ratings as well (blocking all TV-14 programs also blocks all TV-MA [mature audience only] programs). By blocking a rating or content label, you are not restricting your own program options, just your child’s. You can temporarily deactivate the v-chip by entering the code you chose when you first selected your v-chip settings.

Resources

What you can do

Do your homework. Television ratings and the v-chip are designed to give parents guidance, not make decisions for them. Each family and each child is different. It is up to parents to research television shows to decide which ones are appropriate for their children.
Learn how to program your v-chip. The v-chip can be a valuable tool for monitoring your children’s time in front of the television, but only if you know how to use it. Check your television’s user manual for instructions, and continually monitor and update your settings as your children get older.
Watch with your child. The best way to know and understand what your children are watching is to sit down next to them and take a look. In addition, there are some simple media literacy strategies you can practice every time you sit down in front of the television with your family. Help your children understand the theme of the show, who the hero is, who the victim is, what the story is, and whether it is made-up or “reality.”
Establish a Media Use Contract with each child in your family. It is important that you have a conversation with each child to set rules and limits that are appropriate for him or her. In your conversation, be explicit about what types of shows you are comfortable with your child watching and what the consequences will be if the contract is broken. Once the contracts have been signed, post them in a prominent place in your home as a reminder.

Watching Television with Your Children

Television programs can serve as windows into different cultures and different parts of the world. Television programs can inform, educate, and entertain.
As a result of the Children’s Television Act of 1990, broadcast networks now show at least three hours of educational programming each week. Educational and informational programs are often identified by an E/I icon in the corner of the television screen. Whenever you see this icon on the screen, you can know that the show is more likely to offer some educational benefit to your family—and you might want to take a closer look.
VCRs and DVRs (digital video recorders, which allow you to record from your television to a hard drive–based digital storage system) can be used to preview shows to ensure they are what you want your child watching. They also allow you to watch with your child those shows that are on when you are at work, or to save your favorite adult programs until after your child is in bed.

Risks

Many parents are concerned about their young children watching television programs that have content more suitable for older children, or about their older children watching programs that are more suitable for adults. Parents need to be aware that many programs may contain language they do not approve of, violence (perhaps in cartoon form), sexual innuendo, or discussions about sex. Consider making the rule that there will be no televisions in bedrooms. If your child has a television in his or her bedroom, it is much more difficult for you to know what he or she is watching.
The advertising and marketing industry is becoming increasingly sophisticated in the ways it tries to influence consumers, including children. Rather than watching television commercials, mute the commercials and use that time to talk to your child about the program. What is going on in the story? What will happen in the end? Are the characters real people?

Ratings

Television ratings indicate which ages a television program is appropriate for and provide content labels alerting audiences to higher levels of violence (V), sex (S), adult language (L), suggestive dialogue (D), or fantasy violence (FV). The ratings are voluntarily agreed to by the broadcast and cable television networks and are assigned episode by episode. Therefore, the same program might carry a different rating each week depending on the content of the specific episodes.
Ratings appear in the upper left-hand corner of the screen at the beginning of all broadcast programs and many cable programs. To find a program’s rating before the program airs, check the local newspaper listing, the TV Guide, the on-screen cable guide, or the network website.

The v-chip

What you can do

Do your homework. Television ratings and the v-chip are designed to give parents guidance, not make decisions for them. Each family and each child is different. It is up to parents to research television shows to decide which ones are appropriate for their children.
Learn how to program your v-chip. The v-chip can be a valuable tool for monitoring your children’s time in front of the television, but only if you know how to use it. Check your television’s user manual for instructions, and continually monitor and update your settings as your children get older.
Watch with your child. The best way to know and understand what your children are watching is to sit down next to them and take a look. In addition, there are some simple media literacy strategies you can practice every time you sit down in front of the television with your family. Help your children understand the theme of the show, who the hero is, who the victim is, what the story is, and whether it is made-up or “reality.”
Establish a Media Use Contract with each child in your family. It is important that you have a conversation with each child to set rules and limits that are appropriate for him or her. In your conversation, be explicit about what types of shows you are comfortable with your child watching and what the consequences will be if the contract is broken. Once the contracts have been signed, post them in a prominent place in your home as a reminder.

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