Hello readers! I'd like to introduce myself; I am Dr. Michael Rich, the Director of the Center on Media and Child Health at Children's Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health. But more importantly, I am a parent, just like many of you. As a former Hollywood filmmaker, I am a lover of media. But as a pediatrician, I see that media have both positive and negative effects on children's health. See intro video
I'm here as The MediatricianSM to answer your questions about media and health. It is my goal to provide you with science-based answers and practical solutions that can help the children in your life use media in ways that can enrich their development. What's YOUR question about media? Go ahead and ask!
Q:My husband and I immigrated to the United States from the Philippines in
2003, and since then, we had a son, who is now two years old. We have The
Filipino Channel at home, and my husband and I watch telenovelas and variety
shows on that channel all the time. Should we
let our son watch with us? I know some telenovelas can be emotional and disturbing. How
will I know if they affect him negatively? -Telenovelas at Two in Lubbock, TX
A: Dear Telenovelas,
It can be challenging for
families—including those like yours that have recently moved to the U.S.—to stay in
touch with their culture of origin. The Filipino Channel and other screen media
can really help maintain that important connection. As you imply, however, the content
that kids are exposed to really matters. Your son may not understand
disturbing content yet, but he will understand the tone of anger or the sound of distress which may cause fear as he gets older. >>See related question:My 2 year old was scared by a Disney movie, what do I do?
Unless what is on
screen is well-designed educational material for his developmental stage, he’s
almost always better off doing something other than watching TV. That’s not only true because
the content might be disturbing, though. In addition, your son’s developing
brain needs certain environments in order to grow as healthy and strong as
possible. And even though The Filipino Channel may seem to help him connect
with his culture, a screen isn’t an ideal learning environment for children his
age—it doesn’t respond to or interact with him. Therefore, if you’d like to
help your son connect with his culture, have him engage with it in the real
world—by eating your favorite foods from home, for example, or reading books in your first language.
Q:I just read your answer about computer games for 2 year olds and it made me wonder if there are any good computer games for my 7 year old son?
-Questioning Computer Games in Calgary, Alberta, Canada
A: Dear Questioning,
Yes, there are computer games
that are good for your 7 year old. Although we do not directly endorse any
particular game maker, we can offer you a basic rule of thumb for picking out the good ones: Any game you
share with your child should impart information, skills, and ideas that you
want him to learn. Video and computer games are incredibly powerful teachers,
and your son will learn whatever they
contain.
Once you find a game you think
might work (or that he has mentioned wanting to play), read any information you can find about it online, preferably
reviews from other parents or from professional sites that you know how to use
to guide your choices. Then, introduce the game by playing it with your child. This will be a great
opportunity for you to become more aware of what he will experience as he plays, and it will also allow your son to show off his computer skills, which can give him a nice self-esteem boost.
Doing this will also allow you to talk about the content with him. This is particularly useful if the game includes
content that you’d prefer he not learn, since it gives you the opportunity to
address it. Should you decide that you don't want him to play this game after what you've seen, use this as a
learning opportunity for your child. Be up front by explaining that he won’t
benefit from it and how it might harm him, and model for him that it’s okay to walk away
from an unhealthy experience—even if you’ve already spent your money on it.
That said, many logic games,
role-playing games, and socially conscious games can create very important
virtual realities. Your child can learn a lot about a whole variety of topics,
from natural science to social sciences to history, and play out his developing
ideas in these virtual realities. Just note that even the most harmless
seeming games often have some component of shooting or aggressive behavior
because this is the easiest way to engage kids—especially boys—of this
age group. Therefore, I recommend paying attention not only to the content but to also to the
actions that are required to advance in the game.
Q: My 10 & 12-year-old children want to
go to PG-13 and R rated movies with their friends, whose parents think that the
sexual innuendo and violence “goes over their heads” because the movies don’t
show the graphic details of the sex act or the actual bullet hitting the person. Aren’t the lessons
implied and taught damaging to children regardless of the camera angle? -Anxious about Angles in Winnetka,
IL
A:Dear Anxious,
The argument that violence and sex go over kids’ heads is
faulty for a few reasons. One is that PG-13 movies often do show bullet hits, and they can be incredibly violent (for example, see this review of PG-13 flick Surrogates). It’s true
that sex is usually implied, but that is true in virtually all movies that
aren’t rated NC-17. Let’s assume, however, that we don’t see bullet hits in PG-13 movies, and let’s acknowledge that
most sexual activity in movies is implied. Does that mean that these elements
go over kids’ heads?
Absolutely not. First, kids age 10 or 12 are not only very aware of sex but are also extremely
curious about it. In fact, one of our studies showed that when even younger
kids, between the ages of 6 and 8, watched TV shows with adult themes, like Friends, they were more likely to start
having sex between the ages of 12 and 14. And, as you mention, there is all
kinds of evidence that exposure to sexual media content—regardless of camera
angle—forms and affects kids’ understanding of who they are and how
relationships work.
With violence in particular, what is labeled as PG-13 is
incredibly inconsistent. The rating system is not scientific or reliable
because it simply reflects what the ratings board thinks parents will allow
their kids to see—it has nothing to do with the effect on the child. Therefore,
although ratings can be one form of guidance, it’s really up to you to figure
out what is optimal for your individual children. When making decisions, take into consideration what kinds of content your children have been exposed to already, whether you've discussed sex or relationships with them before, whether they tend to be scared by violence, etc.
If there are movies your kids want to see but you don’t feel comfortable
with them seeing, explain to your them, as best you can, that these movies would affect
them in harmful ways. You can say that just as you wouldn’t let them drive
the car or drink alcohol at this age, you are not going to let them watch this movie right now. The
goal is not to negotiate or plead but to share your rationale, in a spirit of
respect and love for your kids, so that they understand why you’re setting this
limit. Approach this as an issue of health and safety—because that’s exactly what it is.
