Children today are allowed and encouraged to watch too much
TV. First, try this test. Show your child a picture of Abe Lincoln and follow
that by a picture of Ronald McDonald and see which one they can identify first?
I am willing to bet the clown is more recognizable but why is this? Even if you
have done well to keep your kid away from a fast food diet, chances are the ads
around their favorite TV show is aimed to get inside their minds with gimmicks
and slogans that make it fun for them and painful for you to manage their
lives. Here is a link that talks about the billion dollars McDonalds spends on
ads a year- http://articles.businessinsider.com/2012-03-14/strategy/31163463_1_mcdonald-burger-business-brand
So we know that companies are predatory in the way they
reach out to our children so they can keep them addicted to their products and
the money flowing. How did the child get in front of the box in the first
place? For many years now as a culture in America we have gradually spent more
time in front of the TV. When kids are old enough to understand what is on it
they are hooked. Children of ages 2-5 spend close to 32 hours a week in front
of the TV. They do eventually go to school and the hours go down a bit but the
habit is formed. It is almost like a full time job to watch TV for a young
child. What is sacrificed is outdoor activity and health. Here is a study by
the University of Michigan Health System- http://www.med.umich.edu/yourchild/topics/tv.htm
Some of the programs kids watch are educational but more
often they are watching Sponge Bob type cartoons and the value of TV is diminished.
TV in this country is less about news and education than it ever has been.
Parents need to be aware of this. How can this trend be reversed? It must start
in the 2-5 year old range. Those children need to be structured on the amount
of TV they watch and the quality of it. Another way is to go back to one
household TV that everyone shares. Most homes now have a TV in every room. This
not only makes people reclusive but it is also killing the family unit mold
that used to exist in this country.
I cannot tell you how to raise your child. Everyone has to
do it at their own pace but think in terms of they grow up to be what you give
them. If they are active in the outdoors from an early age they will be more
likely social conscious and healthy. If they are watching TV in isolation and
inactive then they probably will develop these traits over time and possibly
lead to obesity and dysfunction.
Understand the fight to reverse the TV trend is ongoing. The
ramifications of poor television habits are widespread and tearing at the
foundation of our country. The good news is many middle age adults are getting
back to healthier living but that needs to translate down the line to the youth
or we are just repeating a vicious cycle and more Opportunity Lost…
Here is an example in California of a low income community
standing up to fast food chains- http://www.oncentral.org/news/2012/03/09/targeting-kids-fast-food-advertising-fair-or-preda/
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