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Studies show that violence on television does have an adverse affect on children and the way they think and act. This is true not only for young children, but some recent studies indicate that watching violence on television can even impact adults.

We know that for the most part, children learn from both experience and social learning or role modeling. Therefore, when children, especially young children, see violence on television, they have a difficult time differentiating between what is real or what is make believe, and tend to emulate or copy what they are seeing. Furthermore, there is a chemical change in the brain, similar to that which is seen in post-traumatic stress disorder; if enough violence is viewed, the brain reacts as if the person doing the viewing has actually been abused. This is especially true if the violence is one sided, as in the case of sadistic violence. Now add to this the fact that children who watch violence on television have brains that are still developing, and you can see how really dangerous TV viewing can be.

We know, for instance, that children are psychologically affected by having less empathy, a characteristic we see in bullies; that they are more likely to use aggressive strategies to solve their problems rather than to search for more peaceful methods of conflict resolution; that they tend to be more reactive rather then proactive -- relying more on knee-jerk reactions to resolve frustrations; and finally, that they appear to be more fearful of social relationships which make them bite before they can be bitten. This perception of danger, when coupled with a lack of empathy, can lead to sadistic behavior. Moreover, children seeing too much violence on TV are more likely to be argumentative, as they have dispensed with the slow caution of inhibitors. These children act out in class and are more likely to be the class bully. Since they seem to be less patient than their counterparts, studies show that children who watch too much violence on TV appear to be more unwilling to cooperate, and delay gratification. Therefore, they seem to demonstrate a strong sense of entitlement.

In addition, there are other potential dangers to violent TV viewing and one of the most disturbing is that young children become more violent themselves as teenagers, and tend to have more encounters with the law as adults.

What can parents do about it? Parents have a number of remedies at their disposal and they include:

1. Parents have the power to moderate their children's TV viewing. Parents are entitled to parent and that includes checking in every once and a while to monitor what their children are actually watching on TV.
2. Parents can and should establish house rules for TV viewing. This means how many hours a week, where TV is to be watched, as well as what kind of programming.
3. Parents should supervise their children's TV viewing by watching at least one episode of whatever their children's selections are so that the parents decide if the programming is appropriate.
4. Parents should monitor news programs. Repetitive violence in the news is very disturbing to a young mind. Such violent overload can be directly linked to changes in the brain similar to that seen in abuse. In fact, these changes can actually be viewed on an MRI.
5. Parents should view current events on television with their children so that they can explain any confusing or inappropriate material to their children.
6. Just say "no" to offensive programming. That is what it is to be a parent.
7. Encourage your children to spend their free time in ways other then TV watching, such as reading a good book during the week and watching TV only on the weekends; outdoor sports; arts and crafts; journal writing and playdates with peers can alter, and even break, the hypnotic TV habit.
8. Boundaries are important to you and your children. Set them by creating new models for family time that are interactive rather than passive.
9. Show your children the inspirational part of TV, such as the Discovery Channel, the History Channel, Biography, and Nova.
10. Finally, parents must be what they want to see. Modeling is an essential part of parenting, and since we know that violence on TV negatively affects adults as well, lead your family to healthier viewing and happier living together.

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Violence on TV and How It Can Affect Your Children

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Studies show that violence on television does have an adverse affect on children and the way they think and act. This is true not only for young children, but some recent studies indicate that watching violence on television can even impact adults.

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Most kids today are plugged into devices like TVs, tablets, and smartphones well before they can even ride a bike.

Technology can be part of a healthy childhood, as long as this privilege isn't abused. For example, preschoolers can get help learning the alphabet on public television, grade schoolers can play educational apps and games, and teens can do research on the Internet.

But too much screen time can be a bad thing:

Children who consistently spend more than 4 hours per day watching TV are more likely to be overweight.

Kids who view violent acts on TV are more likely to show aggressive behavior, and to fear that the world is scary and that something bad will happen to them.

Teens who play violent video games and apps are more likely to be aggressive.

Characters on TV and in video games often depict risky behaviors, such as smoking and drinking, and also reinforce gender-role and racial stereotypes.

That's why it's so important for parents to keep tabs on their kids' screen time and set limits to ensure they're not spending too much time in front of a screen.

What's Recommended?

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends these guidelines for screen time:

Babies and toddlers up to 18 months old: No screen time, with the exception of video-chatting with family and friends.

Toddlers 18 months to 24 months: Some screen time with a parent or caregiver.

Preschoolers: No more than 1 hour a day of educational programming, together with a parent or other caregiver who can help them understand what they're seeing.

Kids and teens 5 to 18 years: Parents should place consistent limits on screen time, which includes TV, social media, and video games. Media should not take the place of getting enough sleep and being physically active.

Seeing Violence

The average American child will witness 200,000 violent acts on television by age 18. Many violent acts are caused by the "good guys," whom kids are taught to admire. In fact, in video games the hero often succeeds by fighting with or killing the enemy.

This can lead to confusion when kids try to understand the difference between right and wrong. Young kids are particularly frightened by scary and violent images. Simply telling kids that those images aren't real won't make them feel better, because they can't yet tell the difference between fantasy and reality. Behavior problems, nightmares, and difficulty sleeping may follow exposure to such violence.

Older kids can be frightened by violent images too. Reasoning with kids this age will help them, so it's important to provide reassuring and honest information to help ease fears. But it's even better to not let your kids view programs or play games that they find frightening.

Watching Risky Behaviors

TV and video games are full of content that depicts risky behaviors (such as drinking alcohol, doing drugs, smoking cigarettes, and having sex at a young age) as cool, fun, and exciting.

Studies have shown that teens who watch lots of sexual content on TV are more likely to initiate intercourse or participate in other sexual activities earlier than peers who don't watch sexually explicit shows.

While cigarette and e-cigarette ads are banned on television, kids can still see plenty of people smoking in TV shows. This makes behaviors like smoking and drinking alcohol seem acceptable and might lead to substance abuse problems.

The Obesity Link

Health experts have long linked too much screen time to obesity - a significant health problem today. When they're staring at screens, kids are inactive and tend to snack. They're also bombarded with ads that encourage them to eat unhealthy foods like potato chips and drink empty-calorie soft drinks that often become favorite snack foods.

Studies have shown that decreasing the amount of TV kids watched led to less weight gain and lower body mass index (BMI). Replacing video game time with outdoor game time is another good way to help kids maintain a healthy weight.

Understanding Commercials

Most kids under the age of 8 don't understand that commercials are for selling a product. Children 6 years and younger can't tell the difference between a TV show and an ad, especially if their favorite character is promoting the product. Even older kids may need to be reminded of the purpose of advertising.

Of course, it's nearly impossible to remove all exposure to marketing messages. You can turn off the TV or at least limit kids' watching time, but they'll still see and hear plenty of ads for the latest must-haves.

When your kids ask for the products advertised, explain that commercials and other ads are designed to make people want things they don't necessarily need. And these ads are often meant to make us think that these products will make us happier somehow.

So what can you do? Teach kids to be smart consumers. Ask them questions like:

"What do you like about that?"

"Do you think it's really as good as it looks in that ad?"

"Do you think that's a healthy choice?"

Try to limit kids' exposure to TV commercials by:

having them watch public television stations (some of their programs are sponsored - or "brought to you" - by various companies, although the products they sell are rarely shown)

recording programs without the commercials

muting the TV during commercial time to ask your child questions about the program

streaming their favorite programs, or buying or renting DVDs

By setting healthy limits on screen time and knowing what your child is watching and playing, you can help make the most of your child's media use.

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Most kids today are plugged into devices like TVs, tablets, and smartphones well before they can even ride a bike. Technology can be part of a healthy childhood, as long as this privilege isn't abused. For example, preschoolers can get help learning the alphabet on public television, grade schoolers can play educational apps and games, and teens can do research on the Internet.

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Our Story
In 2009, my son had an incredible Grade 3 teacher-Jonathan. He was enthusiastic, smart and passionate about teaching. And fortunately for a mom who likes to get involved, he was open to new ideas.

As a freelance journalist, he let me come into my son's class and for half an hour each week, to talk to the Grade 3s about what was going on in the news. And not just the light stuff. We talked about the G20 summit. And the environment. And, OK, every once in awhile Justin Bieber.

Before long, parents were telling us that their kid had explained the G20 to them. They were gobsmacked. But we weren't-we knew that kids could understand the news if it was put in context for them. And more importantly, we knew that kids want to understand the news.

They want to know what's going on-the real stuff, not just the fluff that the marketers are always pushing at them or the "news" that grown-ups "think" kids want.

After that school year, Jon said that he had a dream of creating a website so more kids could access the news in kid-friendly language. That's how Teaching Kids News (TKN) came to be.

We are now in our seventh year producing kid-friendly news articles. The articles are written by me and a small but incredibly dedicated group of professional journalists who volunteer their time. We are incredibly grateful to them and in particular, our Science Reporter, Monique Conrod. Jon and Kathleen Tilly write original and interesting curriculum and grammar questions for every article and ensure that the site is understandable for kids, and that it's relevant for teachers and homeschool parents.

Every Monday (or on holidays, Tuesdays) during the school year we offer a new article, based on what's actually happening in the world.

Every story is in kid-friendly language and appropriate for kids in grades 2 to 8. Beyond just making the vocabulary accessible, we provide context for everything in each news story, so kids can understand what's going on, and why. In the curriculum connections we encourage kids to think critically not only about the story itself, but about the way the story is presented. Does the journalist have a bias? What is it and how could the story be written differently by another journalist?

Now, fast-forward to the school year 2014/15. Jonathan and I co-presented the news each week to his class. I brought one or two articles from TKN into the classroom and talked about them, and then Jonathan assigned work based on that article.

We presented a story about Caine's Arcade. Jonathan then had the class create their own cardboard arcade games. One of the kids in the class suggested they hold a charity arcade for the whole school. And that's exactly what they did. It was a huge success. In just over two hours, the class raised $300 for the Foundation for Prader-Willi Research.

And that's kind of the point of what we're trying to do. Not only "teach kids the news," but have them understand it, think critically about what they're hearing, and then apply their knowledge to the real world. And then, maybe, go out and make a difference. Those kinds of critical thinking skills are more important that they have ever been.
Who We Are
Jonathan Tilly is an elementary school teacher with The Toronto District School Board. He has a B.A. in Philosophy from The University of King's College and an M.A. in Child Study from The Institute of Child Study (OISE). Jonathan has been a speaker at conferences in Canada and the United States on the subjects of child development and psychology.

Joyce Grant is a freelance journalist and children's author. She produces the non-profit children's literacy website Getting Kids Reading. She wrote the Gabby series of picture books and two middle-grade baseball novels: Tagged Out and Sliding Home.
Visit Joyce's author blog here. For a school visit, contact her at Joycehgrant at gmail dot com.

Kathleen Tilly is currently working in adult education, developing and presenting curriculum and training materials. Previously she was an elementary teacher with the Toronto District School Board. She has a B.A. in Art History from Dalhousie University, teaching qualifications from the University of Edinburgh and a M.Ed from OISE, U of T. In addition to teaching, Kathleen has led literacy workshops in the TDSB and across Ontario.

Thank you for using TKN. Please bookmark this site and visit it frequently to help you get - and keep - your kids reading!

BIAS AND CRITICAL THINKING
Teaching Kids News, like all news organizations, has biases-a point-of-view. Newspapers usually don't state their bias; however, since TKN is designed to help kids think critically about the news, we want to make our bias clear: TKN's owners have a liberal point-of-view. We try to report the facts fairly in all our stories, but biases in any news organization can creep in, particularly in opinion pieces. One way for readers to limit the effect of bias, is to get their news from many different sources and to always think critically about the news they read.

Here's an interview Joyce did with Matt Galloway of CBC's Metro Morning in 2013, explaining why it's important for children to have access to the news.

http://teachingkidsnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/JOYCE-GRANT-MM-JAN28-13_5067125_2014-08-07T14-10-28.000-1.mp3

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Our Story In 2009, my son had an incredible Grade 3 teacher-Jonathan. He was enthusiastic, smart and passionate about teaching. And fortunately for a mom who likes to get involved, he was open to new ideas.

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About Take Two®

Join Take Two each weekday at 9 AM where we'll translate the day's headlines for Southern California, making sense of the news and cultural events that people are talking about. Find us on 89.3 KPCC, hosted by A Martinez.

The story and images of James Foley's beheading by Islamist militants were shared by many news outlets - including Channel One News, a digital content provider aimed at bringing news to young people.

Although the channel only aired stills from the video, many parents were outraged their children were exposed to such gruesome news to students as young as 8.

Ted Lempert, president of Children Now, says kids should be exposed to current events, but teachers in classrooms should be mindful of their students' ages when talking about the news.

"You don't want to be dishonest. You don't want to say anything like 'This will never happen again,' or 'There's absolutely nothing to worry about,'" Lempert says.

On the other hand, he says it's important to comfort the child.

"In the case of the terrible ISIS incidents, it is important to give the child context and let them know it happened far away and that this is not something they need to be worried about happening in their neighborhood," Lempert says.

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Should schools be responsible for introducing news to kids?

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About Take Two® Join Take Two each weekday at 9 AM where we'll translate the day's headlines for Southern California, making sense of the news and cultural events that people are talking about. Find us on 89.3 KPCC, hosted by A Martinez.

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Emily decided that the Pro side was the winner. I agree. However, despite the assumption that the Con side would have a harder time, I believe that both sides did amazingly well. It was simply the lack of refutation that gave the pro side the edge. Good job, everyone.

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This is emily's debate wall http://padlet.com/emilyv0/mgt5world

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Public transportation is better than private transportation

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MGT5 Debate