WHY?
Screen time is the most significant lifestyle change for children over the
last decade. The average American child today spends 44.5 hours a week
consuming media. The building blocks for success in school and life are
formed in early childhood. They include self -discipline, the ability to
delay gratification, perseverance, imagination and respect.
Study after study show that poor media habits undermine
every single one of these building blocks. Instead of being given the tools
and experiences they need to succeed, more and more kids are shaped by a
media culture that promotes “more, easy, fast, fun” and disrespect. Media
use in early childhood will form the habits that will influence kids for
years to come, with serious consequences. Poor media habits have been linked
to overweight and obese children, attention deficit/hyperactivity, lower
reading scores, bullying, the need for instant gratification, and
aggression.
There is reason to be concerned. Research demonstrates that:
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Children spend more time (44.5 hours per week) in front of
computer, television and game screens than any other activity except
sleeping.
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Children from lowest socioeconomic groups watch the most
media with the least supervision.
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43% of children under 2 watch TV every day.
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29% of children ages 2-3, and 43% of children ages 4 to 6,
have TVs in their bedrooms.
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Children who watch cartoons or other purely entertainment
television shows during preschool years, possess poorer pre -reading
skills at age 5.
The National Institute on Media and the Family (Institute)
is the trusted national voice for families in the media age.
through-u – Families Become MediaWise® is the
Institute’s early childhood program, providing resources and education to
parents and providers about the impact of media on children’s health,
behavior, pre-literacy skills, and school readiness. Since 2003, the
Institute has partnered with hundreds of early childcare centers, early
childcare professionals and organizations to bring MediaWise information and
resources about the impact of media on children’s health and development
directly to parents and caregivers.
Parents and caregivers are children’s most important first
teachers and are responsible for children’s healthy growth and development.
Overall, through-u – Families Become MediaWise® results show that
early involvement and education has a powerful positive effect on the media
habits of families with young children – and immediate and intermediate
outcomes can be achieved. Project evaluations have reliably demonstrated
that when parents have
MediaWise information and training, they make informed
decisions on screen time, ratings, and content which leads to increased
parent and child interaction, and a family environment that can improve and
build strong families.
About the National Institute on Media and the Family...
Since 1996, the National Institute on Media and the Family
has worked tirelessly to help parents and communities “watch what our kids
watch.” The National Institute on Media and the Family is the world's
leading and most respected research-based organization on the positive and
harmful effects of media on children and youth. The National Institute on
Media and the Family is an independent, nonpartisan, nonsectarian, and
nonprofit organization that is based on research, education, and advocacy.
The website
MediaWise® is a free online resource to help families make wiser
media choices and encourage parents to “Watch What their Kids Watch.”
