Denver Association of Family Child Care

Getting Along: Taming the TV

Feb 01, 2001

Does your TV spend more time with your kids than you do? Are you worried about what they see and learn? If so, it may be time to rethink your family viewing habits.
TV Facts
Did you know that
Most 2- to 5-year-olds watch TV an average of 31 hours each week, or more than 4 hours each day.
Prime time TV has an average of 6 violent acts every hour; children's programming has an average of 26 violent acts every hour.
The average American child witnesses 45 acts of violence on TV each day.
Children watching TV may see 50,000 TV commercials each year.
The average American family has the TV on for 6.2 hours every day.
Forty-five percent of American homes watch news during dinner.
The average news item runs no longer than 45 seconds.
Only 10 percent of children's viewing time is spent watching children's television; the other 90 percent is spent watching programs designed for adults.
TV violence
Hundreds of research studies show that TV violence has serious effects on children and adolescents.
Children may
develop strong emotional fears;
become less sensitive to the pain and suffering of others;
become "immune" to the horror of violence;
gradually accept violence as a way to solve problems;
imitate the violence they observe on television; or
identify with certain characters, victims and/or victimizers.
Parents can limit the negative effects of TV violence
Refuse to let children see shows known to be violent.
Refuse to buy violent videos.
Change the channel or turn off the TV when something offensive or violent comes on.
Verbally show disapproval of violent episodes.
Emphasize the belief that violent behavior is not the best way to solve a problem.
Contact parents of your children's friends and agree to enforce similar rules about the length of time and type of program or video the children may watch.
Contact TV stations and major advertisers and express concern about violent programming.
Take control of the remote!
Most TV remote controls now have a parental control option that allows parents to program in only the TV stations that they approve of. This is especially important for families who use cable TV. In some communities the local cable station also can install a devise that will block unwanted programming at little or no charge.

Reprinted with permission from National Network for Child Care -NNCC. Oesterreich, L. (1996). Getting Along: Taming the TV. [Pm 1650]. Ames, IA: Iowa State University Extension.