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| Yes | 23% | 1154 votes | Total: 5016 votes | |
| No | 77% | 3862 votes |
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Add to FavoritesAlthough i am voting yes to this debate, i must admit that not all television is bad for children as long as what they are watching is monitored closely by their parents and the amount of time they spend in front of the "electronic babysitter" so to speak is monitored as well.
My biggest problem with television these days is that there are too many reality based programs not suitable for impressionable young minds, not to mention the oh so tempting "cartoons" such as "South Park", "Family Guy" and "American Dad". The last two really disgust me; how dare they even use the titles they use when the basis of their episodes is hardly family oriented, not to mention, filled with every immoral subject that we DON'T want our children knowing or speaking about. Yet the producers put them in cartoon form, attracting young children and ruining their innocence before it even blossoms. That's where we as parents need to step in and take control.
Long gone are the days of "Mr. Belvedere" and "Growing Pains", shows we could actually sit down as a family and watch when i was a child and not have to worry about sexual innuendos or cursing of any kind. And truth be told, there was usually a pretty good moralistic lesson to be learned. Now don't get me wrong, i allow my two and four year old to watch Dora and Diego and Blue's Clues because they can learn from them. But i also make time in my day to take them to the library or teach them their ABC's.
As for my ten year old, i let him watch Zach and Cody or Hannah Montanna, but i know when the re-runs of "Little House On The Prairie" come on and i make sure we watch them together. Of course, he thinks i'm a geek, but after a few minutes of complaints, he gets into the episode and enjoys that time with me. And the best part about "Little House" episodes is that they are always teaching you something good.
So while i truly feel that television today is definitely not geared toward the family unit in a healthy way, i also think that with a little common sense and control, parents can find the right outlet to make it a learning experience and quality family time, just like in the "olden days".
Learn more about this author, Mary Bubbins.
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No
Parents should not raise their children without TV, but young children should be monitored as to the amount and kind of TV they watch. TV can be a wonderful teaching tool and fun for the entire family, but it can become a bad parenting device when used as a babysitter.
It is unwise to sit young children in front of the television for hours at a time while mom or dad is busy. If parents are home with children and the kids are very young; parents should be actually interacting with them for a large part of the time.
Realizing that parents need to have a life also and that some of the time must be spent without devoting 100 % of their energy to their children; TV can be used as a diversion for short times. Do realize what the child is watching so as to avoid anything unsuitable for younger children. Even so- called children's shows should be watched by parents to see if they are suitable. Many programs and cartoons aimed at the youngest kids are too violent or too sexual for young viewers.
TV offers many great shows about nature or animals that are pleasing and appropriate for children. Some of the children's shows are based on entertaining or teaching very young viewers. If they are appropriate, by all means let kids watch them.
The traditional shows for tiny ones that teach them how to do daily tasks and present them with problems to solve are great. If they feature diversity in their performers; this can be a valuable learning situation.
Keep in mind that when the family is together and all viewing TV, programs must be chosen with the youngest member in mind. If the program is not appropriate for the youngest family members; don't watch it.
Adult television is definitely not appropriate for everyone. As children get older, families can expand the watching criteria to include more mature themes. If parents wish to expose children to things that are less appropriate especially preteens or teens, parents should explain and engage in an ongoing dialogue about what the program is showing. Always, keep in mind whenever a child or teen says they prefer not to watch something; parents should change the channel. The answer which most families have come up with is for kids to have their own TV's in their rooms. This works unless the parents never check or monitor what their kids are viewing.
Encourage kids to do other things as well as watch TV. They should read, play with friends, spend time with family, play games, do sports, and go outside. A one sided plan for entertainment is never healthy. Balance recreation time to include lots of activities.
Talking with your kids to make sure they understood what they saw and also were not upset by it is a good idea whenever the material is more grown up. Discussions always can help you put a better light on things for them and even set the record straight when there is confusion.
Censorship is usually a bad plan in every situation where there is something less than perfect with the programming. Children often hear worse things at school and so can never be completely shielded from these topics. Use common sense and consider some of the more grown up material to be a teaching opportunity. Do not let kids watch age inappropriate TV alone.
Following these directions should make raising kids with TV a much safer practice.
Learn more about this author, Jo Ann Wentzel.
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