Watching What They Watch
For example, at the risk of criticizing a well-loved icon of Christian entertainment, Veggie Tales videos are often too frenetic for kids under 5. The BBC's Kipper the Dog is a good example of a slow-tempo alternative, or the vintage Mr. Rogers, which is edited with a painfully slow pace.
3. Listen to the audio: Audio contributes as much—if not more—to the pace of the video as what's on the screen. Editors often cut to music, so the audio track is a great way to assess the frenetic factor. Listen to the video without looking at it. If the video has a lot of up-tempo music that runs throughout the video, your child has a lot more sensory data to intake and process. Look for what editors call "breathing space," where the audio periodically quiets down.
4. Consider the internal impact: Even if your child seems to be tracking a fast-paced video, be cognizant of how it impacts her emotional state. A frenetic video with lots of visual edits and up-tempo music can rev her system the same way rock music revs your system. Conversely, a slower video will help calm her system. Keep in mind, too, that TV viewing impacts cognitive development. Some studies indicate that, even in homes that value education, excess TV exposure impairs learning in school.
When your child watches programming…
5. Skip television (unless it's ad-slim PBS). With DVDs, you avoid advertisements, which are often frenetic, and you control both the viewing and the dialogue that goes along with viewing. (See #7.)
6. Skip introductions, at least for the little ones. Like movie trailers, introductions with opening credits are often cut montage-style, with lots of fast cuts and fast music.
7. Watch with her, especially in early viewings. First, assess the form. Is the video too fast? Is the audio too frenetic? Is my child tracking? Second, assess the content. Talk with her about the emotions she feels and the values and morals she's viewing. Help narrate what's going on and how it relates to her life.
For example, my three-year-old loves to watch The Sound of Music. When she watches the scene in which Maria and the Captain bicker over how to raise the kids, she says to me, "They're not being gentle," and then we talk about the importance of being gentle with each other.
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Comments
Daved Kuntz
As a whole, I think this article is good and rings true, but it runs into the danger of encouraging legalism. I was the oldest of six children and we only watched PBS, and only shows that didn't include magic were allowed. At one point, my mother also didn't approve of other shows because they were too "fast paced" - she didn't like Bill Nye the Science Guy not because of its secular evolutionism, but because it went from one thing to another too quickly. To outright ban a child from watching a television show simply because you think it is too complicated is patronizing at best and manipulative at worst.
Jim Ricker
PLease excuse me if I sound haughty but....are people really confused by what kids need when it comes to media? That is difficult to believe to be blunt. This is akin to most parents saying they don't know how to talk to their kids about drugs - it is a lie. Everyone knows it is not healthy to let your kids watch all these things and most being not watched by the parents either before or during.
Nancy Lee
We checked out a DVD from the library of "The Secret Garden" -- it was produced in 1975 by BBC. Boy, is it ever SLOW . . . lots of long, unedited shots, and it's broken into 7 30-min. episodes. It is perfect for my 6-year-old daughter! She can follow the story because we read it together first, and she is having a ball watching the book come to life. This is the perfect example of something age-appropriate (they did change some of the book's dated language about Indian people, thank heaven!). As I read your article, I was thinking "That's why this DVD is so good for her!"
Andrea Dilley
Karen, Thanks for your thoughts on the piece. I appreciate it. From my perspective, these suggestions regarding media management are not meant to be substitutions for healthy, interactive learning, as per my first comment (see #1). Games and legos and those kinds of activities are best for learning. I agree. But a modest dose of visual art--in the form of media--can be acceptable and actually healthy for a child. Moderating the amount (very little), the quality of content, and the quality of form (with a slow cut rate, as per #2) is key. By learning how to appropriately "read" media at a young age--in modest amounts--I hope my child develops an appreciation for visual media art, such as film. Thanks for engaging the article, Karen! All the best to you and your kids. Andrea
Karen Smith
I know it's foreign to the experience of many - but why not give them some decent games to play? Oh, if I had kids I wouldn't give them anything of a maturity level I didn't find acceptable for them - but give them GAMES. Let them expand their mind with imagination in a fantastic world like the ones in Zelda, and let them learn problem-solving while doing it. Give them TOYS - Legos, especially, are good toys for almost all ages (even if they need to be Duplo). Don't sit them in front of a television watching a static video - give them something that lets them make choices, and they will learn much faster and better. Give them dancing games, let them exercise a bit after clearing enough space. Make it INTERACTIVE. Just avoid online games, at least for the young kids.
Rachel Stephan Simko
I agree completely. I've found that "educational" doesn't mean much. I mean, Sesame Street is supposedly educational, right? But how can any kid focus on what's going on? They bounce around SO quickly (talk about frenetic!). I still let my daughter watch Elmo from time to time, but only on rare occasions (to be honest, I have a soft spot in my heart for Jim Henson, which is why I haven't done away with SS for good). One show I've been pleased with is Blue's Clues. Every show has the same format, the same songs, and teaches concrete things. And a big bonus -- it's on Netflix, so no commercials! I think that raising kids with a good relationship to media means YOU have to have a good (read: HEALTHY) relationship to media. We do a lot of reading in our house -- both in front of and with our daughter -- and that's the environment I grew up around. rachel (evenonesparrow.blogspot.com)
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