Post: Keeping Kids Healthy in a 24/7 Media World
Keeping Kids Healthy in a 24/7 Media World
Good health is about more than strong bones and good teeth. It’s about physical, mental, social, and emotional wellness. The media messages and images that our kids consume through TV, movies, video games, the Internet, music, and cell phones shape their values and behavior in ways that can be healthy or unhealthy.
But media runs right through the center of our kids' lives, so what's a parent to do? It's up to us to help them use the media they love both wisely and well.
That's why the editors at Common Sense Media have created a new guide for parents: Keeping Kids Healthy in a 24/7 Media World. And you can download it free from our site.
What does the guide include?
How Media Matters to Our Kids' Health:
Physical Health: Media immersion absolutely affects our kids' physical health. We're seeing the impact in the escalation of obesity, eating disorders, attention deficit disorders, and in declining levels of fitness.
Violence and Agression: By the time kids enter middle school, they will have seen 8,000 murders and 100,000 more acts of violence on broadcast TV alone. Meanwhile, video games have taken center stage as an especially powerful and violent influence.
Social and Emotional Health: Kids need a hefty dose of self-esteem, a strong sense of right and wrong, and the ability to conduct relationships respectfully and responsibly. But media often seem to encourage just the opposite.
Sexual Behavior: Sex is everywhere. So much so, in fact, that teens report their main source of information about sex, dating, and sexual health comes from what they see and hear in the media.
Addictive Behaviors: There's no grey area here. A direct and proven correlation exists between the onset of smoking and drinking and media exposure.
Plus
Five Challenges for Parents/Tips for Healthy Media Use: Media is everywhere, so teaching kids how to use it in a healthy manner can be tough. Check out our tips for keeping kids healthy in a media- saturated world.
To download and print the complete guide, click here. For more, watch the Inaugural Kids & Media Conference, which will examine the influence of media in kids' lives, live from our Web site on Feb. 7.