- Experience shapes the brain.
- The prefrontal cortex is the last to be wired. This is located in the front of the head sort of behind the forehead. This is where we think, plan, organize, make decisions and it is the center for impulse control.
- Recent brain research shows that this particular center does not develop as soon as other parts...it refines itself about age 20.
- Combine this prefrontal cortex development with what is happening with hormone development. Hormones send messages. For boys, it is testosterone flow and for girls, estrogen. Hormones act in concert with neurotransmitters. One primary neurotransmitter is seratonin.
- Seratonin is a STABALIZER. Think about how hormone flow and seratonin can work together (or not) to hold a mood and actions in check.
- Now- overlay this with the media revolution...
In early 1999 video games operated on 350,000 polygons/second (Nintendo 64)
Sept 1999 - 3 million polygons per second - (Sega dreamcast)
2000 - 38 mil polygons.sec (Playstation 2)
2001 125 million polygons/sec (X Box, Game Cube)
2006 - 1 Billion polygons/sec (wii, other new games)
How does this relate to kids?
- In the US- there is an average of 4 TVs per household
- 68% of school-age children have TVs in their rooms
- 25% of babies under 2 years have TV in their bedrooms
- 58% of teens have "My space" pages
- 43% of babies under 2 years watch TV regularly
- Kids take the "Wow" factor for granted.
When asked why children under 6 are allowed this sort of TV exposure,
parents say that use of TV is convenient, keeps them busy, reduces
conflict and avoids boredom.
In Korea, their technology is a few years more advanced than in the US. They already have broadband wireless throughout their country. And they have 40 government sponsored programs for video addiction.
- Storytellers are powerful transmitters of culture and values. TV has become the storyteller in this generation. TV has become the transmitter of culture including values. And TV and video games promote these cultural values- easy, more, fast and fun. Media is taking over the lives of families.
- TV at meals is pervasive - so there is no social interaction tom reinforce family values and relate to one another, check on each other, show caring and concern for each other.
- Family members have become isolated and unconnected. Instead there is a connection to TV and to computer games or people on screens.
- The impact or media on physical health is growing. Being sedentary and the amount of screen time are predictors of overweight.
- There is a growing impact on sexual norms and behavior (sexually explicit music, images, etc).
- We are facing new challenges with addictions, cyberbullying, privacy, and safety.
Dr .Welsh comments that although the content may be ok, it wires the brain to screen time and screen expectation. Same for all educational videos.
The cultural values of More, Easy, Fast and Fun erodes self-discipline. Self- discipline is a huge school predictor; twice as strong as intelligence. These values weigh against values such as competence, resilience and responsibility.
These facts relate to other concerns in our society.
- 1/3 of American School teachers are considering leaving the teaching profession. A large part of the reason is student behavior (i.e., self-discipline).
- We are severely low in qualified teachers.
So...what to make of this?
- It is not the TV. It is not the computer in an of itself. It is about the relationship.
- It is about parents inability to say NO. Parents indicate that their kids "have a fit" when they turn off the TV.
by Guest blogger:
Karen DeBord, Ph.D.
Professor & Extension Specialist
Child Development
North Carolina State University
3 comments:
This is good information for parents who are trying to decide what the tv rules are going to be, but what if a tv habit has already been established? Do you have any suggestions for how to wean kids off tv without the huge tantrums? Any ideas for activities for kids to do besides watching tv when you need some space to cook dinner? What about those channels that market themselves as "preschool." They don't have ads and my son has actually learned a few things from them. Where do you draw the line? So much to discuss with this topic!
My inlaws watch tv while opening presents on Christmas morning! It's insane, but you can't convince them to turn it off.
Catherine
In our house, we are not very good at sticking with our limits, so we have quite frequently just gone without for very long stretches. We do not watch TV, but we do allow movies, this way we can keep track of the content a lot better.
I personally feel that there can be a lot of good found in media, the object then is to make sure we filter out the things that we feel are wrong for our families.
I do think we need to spend more time with our children, and media often gets in the way. We can find more ways to include our kids in what we do day to day.
You are right, this is a big topic!
Amen! My older kids were TV addicts, until we pulled the plug.
I went to a writer's conference where E.L. Konigsburg was the speaker. She told of the deterioration of the letters young people wrote to her, and how the newer generation had a hard time with complete thoughts. The children would begin a sentence and half way through say something like... so ya...you know and never finish their thought. She told us how she began to research this problem and was led to the book Endangered Minds. (Probably older research than yours.)
To make a long story short. I went to the bookstore that night and bought the book. When I returned home from the conference, I talked to my husband about it. We unplugged the TV. A couple times we plugged it back in. But it has been off at our house for years now.
Yup! There were huge temper tantrums. But we are still the parents in our house.
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