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On average, the American child is in the company of his parent about 17 hours per week, with the media about 35 hours per week.  Of the two, parent and media, which is more entertaining to the child, and which more critical to his social and emotional development?

When the Media is the ParentOur children are being nurtured and guided by machines — modern media delivery systems – and the media they deliver.  They have taken over the parenting functions that once were performed by human beings.

This may sound like a horror movie plot from the 1950s, but it is a twenty-first century reality. All too often, well-meaning parents have abdicated their roles as nurturers, caregivers, teachers, confidantes, guides, and role models—leaving TV, videogames, movies, smart phones, and the internet to fill in. And our children are paying the price. Continue reading →

  • Parents need to keep up

    An article by Dr. Leonard Sax, a family physician who has written a book on children and the media. The article describes a 12 year old girl who made a naked pic of herself and sent it to a teen boyfriend who accidentally left his phone unattended. A friend found the photo and sent it viral. A major mental health crisis followed for the girl. Continue reading →

  • Parents finally seem to be taking notice
    Parents finally seem to be taking notice

    An article in a local newspaper in Lexington, Massachusetts that describes an event with three media experts held at a high school for parents. This subject is the impact of media violence on kids. Dr. Michael Rich of Boston Children's Hospital leads off with a clear statement that parents should limit all exposure, and let me repeat, all exposure to media violence for kids. He refers to a recent study that kids who watch Barney are often happy and enthusiastic whereas kids who watch Power Rangers often behave in violent ways. This is a clear if provocative position, I would say. Continue reading →

  • Cutting the power on media device over-use
    Cutting the power on media device over-use

    A wonderfully absorbing story about a family that experienced a power shortage at their home and as a result rediscovered a world without screens and yet rich in human relations. A worthwhile read. Fits well with my idea that families need to develop traditions in which screens and the media are set aside, and older, more traditional ways of relating are placed at center stage, so to speak. Continue reading →

  • The physical perils of being plugged into screens

    An amusing if informative article with illustrations, about the physical perils of being plugged into screens constantly. Bad posture, neck problems, hand discomfort, decrease in physical acuity to name a few. Continue reading →

  • Are children fascinated by gun violence?

    A short but telling article regarding an interview of a doctor specializing in public health and children. She makes three very interesting points and clarifies how this cluster of factors weave together to create problems for children in American society. Continue reading →

  • Too much media immersion can lead to depression

    The sheer number of scholarly articles keeps mounting. In this article, which features a study done by researchers in Britain, it seems that immersion in screens by kids has a number of problematic effects in the areas of self esteem, anxiety and depression. Continue reading →

  • Social media can be a major source of peer pressure

    A recent study done by social scientists at USC shows how clearly kids are impacted by involvement with social media engines like Facebook and MySpace. Essentially we are dealing with peer pressure to an exponential power. Continue reading →