Post: Watching the News
Watching the News
The grainy images of Saddam Hussein's hanging are making their way around the Internet, and your kids can easily watch them. Before they stumble across the footage, you might want to talk with them about watching a real-life execution -- not a video game simulation.
Tweens and teens know the difference between fantasy and reality deaths. But they may not be prepared for the emotional impact of watching a real person die. It is, after all, different from the movie, TV, and video game violence that we as a nation seem to willingly accept.
So how do you talk to your kids about the difference?
Ask your kids if they've seen the footage. If they have, ask how they felt about seeing a real-life execution. Did it have a different impact than the commonplace violence they see in other forms of entertainment? Does it alter their feelings about entertainment violence?
Don't let kids under 14 see the footage if you can help it. The images require emotional maturity. Public execution is a complex issue that even the most sophisticated media critics are wrestling with. If kids 13 and under have seen the footage, try talking to them about the trial and the reasons behind the execution so they have a context for what they've seen.
Use the experience as a way to pass on your values to your children. Each family is different, but each needs to be able to discuss the impact of graphic images on their kids. No matter how you feel about what happened, it's important to be able to discuss the role of the news -- of instantaneous and unedited imagery -- and the impact of the experience. Help your kids understand that the media make editorial decisions that affect what we do and don't see.