ISSUES OF LIFE: Screening TV Shows, Internet, and Music for Your Kids
T.v., internet, mp3, mp4, play station, social networking, new media and digital devices, etc.---these all keep our kids and teenagers busy in this day and age. Do you know that our kids today engage in active multi-tasking? This means that they could watch t.v., listen to music in their mp3s and chat in the internet, all at the same time. So now you're wondering, "What about their studies?" Yup, that really is a great question. In as much as we want to give our kids the best of these modern devices to keep them active and busy, what we fail to realize is that these are all distractions to the more essential things in life, like education and spirituality. However, this does not mean that we should deprive them of all these things, but it is our responsibility as parents and guardians to screen what may very well be influences to their daily life.
It is always good to start teaching them who is in control at an early age. Many parents are already limiting the amount of t.v., internet, or play station time of their children. Some also use these as rewards after they finish their homework but also with limited time. However, this is just the beginning.
In the U.S., broadcast and cable t.v. programs offers ratings services that appear during the first 15 seconds of each program. Here in the Philippines, there is also a warning of some sort if there are contents of foul language or violent scenes before they start a t.v. program. Parents could also use T.V. Parental Controls which are effective in screening unwanted programming. The best thing to do is to watch t.v. with your children. You can directly turn off the t.v. or try to teach your kids why that scene or language is not good and should not be imitated. For music and internet, parents just have to be vigilant in screening what their children, especially their teenagers, are listening to or are chatting with or which sites they are opening.
Some of us cannot be with our children 24/7, especially with those who are already grown into adolescence. But we can find time to more than once in a while look into what our children are busy about. We can show our kids the better use of the internet by helping them use it for their research and for their homework in school. If we lead them in prayer in the mornings at breakfast or before going to school, they would know the value of putting God first before anything else.
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4 comments:
Minsan nga dahil wala din akong yaya, I also resort to electronic nanny pero, yun I'm so terroristic about time.. 1 hr is 1 hr... ewan ko nalang kung yaya ang maiwan ... e kayang-kayang nila yung yaya... inevitable is the word... moms now has a lot of work to do...
lol I remember one parent told me that her daughter is doing that. While studying she watch tv and listening to MP 3 lol thanks for the visit carmen
Very well said ate, I do that with my kids. I remember one instance when we were still in Korea, the show for kids had foul languages in it. Very good article.
Sowi po if madalang ako makavisit, busing busy kasi sa pagtututor sa aking dalaginding, she'll be starting kindergarten this fall. I appreciate all your comments and visits.. frequently!
second the motion ako ni sis Rose...very nice topic te...si Akesha natuto na magsalita ng "stupid" because she watch spongebob all the time...we told her it's a bad word...now she knows...kailangan talaga ng parental guidance.
yung mga gadgets ngayon...ang nakaka disadvantage lang is anti-social...lahat na kasi busy sa mga ek ek na techs...ehheheh!
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