Literally hundreds of studies have focused on the effects of television on Orlando private school students. A prevalent concern is whether watching a news program or primetime series involving violence will desensitize children by creating a mindset that it is acceptable to injure or harm another individual. Knowing these facts, parents need to explain the difference between good and bad, as well as the intermediate grey area where ideas may clash. With any form of media, the issue is resolved by abstaining from watching violent programs in the presence of children and not allowing young children to play video games that contain graphic violence or adult content.
Does this mean that the television should never be on while children are present? Certainly not. Many programs are specifically designed to educate and engage young viewers. Parents are given the important task of watching television with their children to create an engaging environment and assist in answering questions while playing along with the characters in the programs. Many programs, such as Sesame Street, have a long-standing track record of stimulating and educational programs to give your child an entertaining world in which he or she can learn letters and numbers. Programs for older children focus on sharing, learning foreign languages, problem solving, etc. Children are generally quite excited to see their favorite character work through a particular difficulty, and often use these skills and tactics in their personal lives to solve their own problems.
Knowing these two sides of the television controversy, parents are advised to closely monitor television usage, not only to determine if the content is satisfactory, but to also regulate how much television is enough. Watching television for several hours every day can severely cut into valuable play time. The sedentary lifestyles learned by watching television for extended periods of time may lead to childhood obesity, decreased social skills, and reduce the ability of a child to entertain himself or herself when the television is turned off. Know what your children watch and how often they watch, and be sure to engage your children rather than using television as a babysitter. The results are worthwhile.
Lake Forrest, an Orlando private school, encourages parents to use wholesome television as a learning tool and to be actively engaged in their children’s education. To learn more, call us at 407-331-5144 today.
